Woman Fired By Employer After Going On 2-Month Maternity Leave Because It Is "Too Long"
"Looking at my child and husband, I wanted to cry."
By Wayne Garreth — 06 Oct 2022, 10:59 AM
Maternity leave is a fundamental human right for all women who're taking the first step in their lives to having a child.
But what happens when certain employers don't view it with the same importance as others?
The singular issue of maternity leave in the workforce has been a long and strenuous topic of discussion. Earlier this year, an amendment to the Employment Act 1955 saw a future where the maternity leave for working women could be extended from 60 to 98 days. However, it has since been put on hold for the adjustments to be made in January 2023.
Parental media outlet and distributer of information for growing families, theAsianparent Malaysia, recently published an anonymous confession on their Facebook page from a woman who claimed that she had been fired from her job because her employer could not keep paying her while she was on maternity leave.
As outrageous as it sounds (and believe me, it is!), the employer stated that a two-month maternity leave was too long for her to be not working.
Opening her confession, the anonymous woman states how her boss texted her the devastating news a mere five days after she gave birth
"It's only been a few days since I gave birth. It's now the sixth day of my leave," she wrote.
Continuing on, the woman wrote, "My boss sent me a WhatsApp message yesterday night, it was painful to read. He apologised and said he had to let me go from my work, reason being that he did not have enough backup staff while I'm on leave, and two months is way too long."
Ending her confession, the woman stated that she felt tears well up in her eyes as she looked at her child and husband.
The original post published on theAsianparent Malaysia's Facebook page.
Image via theAsianparent Malaysia (Facebook)Comments poured in, with many people saying, "If you've been confirmed, you should bring this issue to the labour department, make a report and let them investigate the situation"
Outraged, members of the public quickly took to sharing their opinion under the post, which has since garnered over 4,000 likes on Facebook.
A string of comments advised the woman to bring this incident to the labour department for them to look into. Certain individuals stated that if she has an EPF and SOCSO account under her name, that she would stand a good chance in finding her way through the situation.
In a heartbreaking turn, one responder shared her experience after having to give up her job when pregnant with her eldest child, and had a difficult time finding work after because no one wanted to hire a pregnant woman.
"[I resorted to an] online business and baked while waiting for my delivery. After giving birth, I thankfully found a new place to work at. I've now been working with the same company for more than five years and had my second child while working there. So trust me, good things will come! What's not meant for you will pass, and what is will stick, hang in there mama!"
Nevertheless, many people rallied under the comments section to uplift the woman in this trying time, offering kind words for what to do moving forward.
"Keep going, don't think about it too much. Focus on your child and recovering. You can make a living from anything around you, think about it after some time to rest," said one of the many Facebook users.
