One woman said her workplace fired her right after she gave birth and then tried to rehire her just to avoid legal issues.
In a viral video that has racked up over 728,00 views and 50,000 likes, TikToker Clarissa Price (@rissapricexo) described what led to her firing and how the company tried to get her back.
“What it was like being fired after having a baby,” read the video’s on-screen caption.
Clarissa said after she had her baby, her job asked her to return to work early while she was on maternity leave.
“I did so because I was told that somebody was hired to, um, take my work,” she said through tears.
She blamed the decision to return to work on being postpartum and going through a lot of emotions and changes. She also said she had serious fears that she would lose her job if she did not return.
Upon her return, the woman said she questioned her job about keeping her pay. She said she had not received her last paycheck before leaving for maternity leave, and then her paycheck was docked when she returned. Clarissa also alleged the company reduced her work hours and reduced her pay.
“I had brought this to my boss’s attention,” she said. “I was concerned that because I went out there and had a baby, all this was happening to me.”
Instead of consoling the anxiety-ridden new mom, the woman said her boss fired her.
@rissapricexo Part 2 #momsoftiktok #postpartum #maternity #workingmom #letgofromwork #sadstory #storytime ♬ original sound – Clarissa Price
“I don’t think this is the answer. Is this really happening?” the woman said she questioned an HR employee at the company.
After she threatened to “talk to somebody about this,” the company reportedly asked her to return to work a month later.
“Unbeknownst to me, they were just doing what was [in] the best interest of the company by giving me my job back to try and cover up the things they did,” she said. “I think they took advantage of me in a vulnerable state.”
In the comments section, viewers agreed and advised her to take legal action against the company.
“Sue,” user Aja said. “Trust me you got this.”
“SUE THEM. This is grounds for a lawsuit and you will win,” user Starsmoosh commented.
“HR is not there to protect you they are there for the employer,” another viewer said. “Always get everything in an email to back yourself up and send that email to your self.”
In a follow-up clip, Clarissa said an unnamed “public figure” reached out because her story resonated with her. The woman said she endured a similar battle with a wealthy employer and pledged to help the worker fight her own.
The Daily Dot reached out to Clarissa Price via email and will update this story should she respond.
