Can your job fire you, cause of morning sickness?

I only have 1 more day until December of this year...what if I need that last day then more because of this

I'm just a little worried, cause I just started getting morning sickness, I'm only about 7& 1/2 weeks

Re: Can your job fire you, cause of morning sickness?

Your job can fire you for abuse of sick time, excessive absenteeism and/or lateness. Whether or not you are pregnant is not the issue at this stage. If you have no time to use, then you are vulnerable. However, you may ask your physician to fill out FMLA papers for having "scattered" absences related to the pregnancy. FMLA can be taken consecutively or split depending on the medical condition. Your employer can not terminate you if you file for FMLA on the days that you are sick. I'd recommend having your doc fill out the papers and prescribe you with "as needed" bed rest. You won't get paid for these days if you have exhausted all your benefit time, but at least you will not be subject to disciplinary action/termination. Never leave home without crackers!!!!

Re: Can your job fire you, cause of morning sickness?

I would sit down and talk to your boss. Male or Female, I think you'll get the maximum amount of sympathy if your up front with them.

Be sure to note that you continue to work hard, and would like the rest of the office NOT to know yet.
Maybe you can work some extra hours to make up for time lost? Maybe you can come in later, leave earlier? Work a weekend? Explain that you do not want to be throwing up in the office, but brain and heart wants to work.

I would not let anyone in the office know, until your boss has been able to let this brew in his/her head for a bit. This will give them time to strategize and give them control and put them at ease when it comes to you and your position there.

They (legally) can't fire you for being pregnant, but they can fire you for being a bad employee.

Also, if its really really bad, you can talk to your doctor about taking anti-nausea medication like Zofran. It helped me a lot to get over the worst of it at work.

Re: Can your job fire you, cause of morning sickness?

Yes but I work with children, I am a preschool teacher, I work fulltime and my boss and everyone knows already that I'm pregnant

Re: Can your job fire you, cause of morning sickness?

That's tough...how cool is your boss? As a teacher, do you get vaca and/or personal time? If so, maybe he'll let you take that time as sick time instead since it's a special circumstance?

If it's getting to the point where you're missing that much I'd speak to the doc about medication like the pp suggested. Feel better

Re: Can your job fire you, cause of morning sickness?

Not if your Dr put you out on disability.

I ran out of sick time/vacation when PG with my son around 14-15 weeks.

I managed till 27 weeks when I went on disability for the remainder of my PG.

Talk to your HR department and your Dr.

in the meantime try all the tricks of the trade and maybe Zofran or medication if it really interferes with yoru daily life.

I became a quick friend of my work bathroom and was able to work while still getting sick 3-6 times a day at work. It can be done, but it is HARD .....

Hang in there.

Re: Can your job fire you, cause of morning sickness?

Most likely they would not, they may find something else to fire you for, but you could sue them if it was for "morning sickness"

I am going to say that I never called out sick b/c of ms and I had it BAD. I worked until I was 36 weeks and it wasn't pretty b/c I commuted to the city, but I got it done. You just try to find the most tolerable way to do it.

Re: Can your job fire you, cause of morning sickness?

I get worried about this too. I'm a teacher who works LONG hours and my place has it that if we call out, WE have to find a replacement sub. I don't know how I would do this if it was more than just once. I'm really going to try to stick it out though. I think the only way that I'll call in is if I'm seriously unable to even move Hopefully m/s doesn't get me that bad.

But I would HOPE that jobs wouldn't fire a pregnant woman for something like this - even tho I'm sure they can

Re: Can your job fire you, cause of morning sickness?

They couldn't fire you for morning sickness, but they could for exceeding the number of allotted absences or for spotty attendance. The time you call out sick now would be like the icing on the cake-i.e. if you have used up all of sick time already, they could say you are not reliable. It really depends on your overall record.

I would talk to them now, it's always better to know where you stand.

Re: Can your job fire you, cause of morning sickness?

According to the ADAA, pregnancy is classified as a disability and you legally cannot be fired due to absences related to what are known as "pregnancy complications". With that being said, an employer can try and find another zillion angles which are legal to terminate your employment if you have excessive absences.

The FMLA only applies to your company if they employ 75 people or more. This means that small businesses are not bound by the FMLA.

For ordinary morning sickness, you will be hard pressed to find a Dr. to put you on short term disability. Hyperemisis(sp?) where you puke your guts up (for lack of a better description) is considered more of a PG-related disability, and you likely can get short term for that.

I don't want to steer you wrong because I don't practice labor and employment, but from experience and research, that is what I found. I agree with PPs and think you should speak to your boss about what to do if it is bad. You might be able to get an aide or maybe someone to help you. If I think of anything else, I will let you know!

Re: Can your job fire you, cause of morning sickness?

Re: Can your job fire you, cause of morning sickness?

I had horrible morning sickness starting around 7 weeks also. My doctor gave me Zofran..Without out I would not have been able to work.