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One Mum's Story: Nikki
I met my partner through my kickboxing gym in which I trained at three times a week. We were sparring buddies at first and did not strike up a relationship until a year after meeting. About 6 months into our relationship I was getting ready to step into the boxing ring and fight muay thai kickboxing with my partner helping me. I was dropping weight, dieting and training like crazy until I reached 3kgs from my target weight of 59kgs, then I stopped dropping weight and even gained a kilo or two. Then after one particular training night which consisted of my partner pounding a 10kg medicine ball into my abs to harden them up I was really sore. I thought I'd just overdone it with the ab work as it felt like I had pulled the muscles. My breasts became sore and I just considered it to be a sign that I was getting my period which hadn't come for a while. They were irregular due to my dieting - so I thought. My partner thought - hmm, you'd better get tested, so I took a pregnancy test and it came up positive. I had mixed emotions as I was so dedicated to fighting - I was disappointed I had to pull the plug on my fight yet I was overjoyed - I was pregnant! I was currently on holidays from my work as a hairdresser. I was about to enter my third year in my apprenticeship. One day I made a stop by work and told my boss we were expecting. The girls were all very happy and congratulated us, then we left. As I returned to work from my holidays everything seemed to be normal and peachy keen. The first few months of my pregnancy I suffered really bad morning sickness where I was sick all day, every day even without eating or having anything in my stomach. Herbal teas and soup were about the only things I could keep down yet even they were hard to stomach. I still soldiered on though and went to work as normal but with a few more frequent bathroom trips then per usual. I had reached four months into my pregnancy and the sickness was subsiding thankfully. This is when my boss - the salon owner and the salon manager decided to hold a private meeting with me. They discussed the fact that I was coming up to my third year in my apprenticeship which meant a payrise by government law and explained that as we were coming up to Christmas they didn't think I would cope being on my feet all day being pregnant with the possibility of not being able to get a break being the busiest holiday of the year. Then soon after the exact words that came out of the manager's mouth to my horror were: "It is very unfortunate you fell pregnant". I could not speak or retaliate. I was told to take maternity leave early - as in as soon as tomorrow, yet go home and discuss with my partner first. I went to work the next day where only the salon owner was on duty and told her I still wanted to try and work up to February, March 31st being my due date and if I could not cope I would let her know and give her considerable notice. Yet through the next few weeks I was harassed and nagged every time I went to work as to when I was going to start my maternity leave. I kept a diary of all the times I was harassed even being pulled into the back room as if I were in the wrong. I realised this was a money issue as the salon had become a bit quiet and I had just turned third year which meant an instant payrise. Weeks went by and I was continually harassed until one particular day when the salon manager was on duty I was working a 9am-5:30pm shift and it became quiet. My partner had a day off so he brought me lunch and waited outside the salon until I was sent on a break. I didn't get sent that day until 3pm. My partner waited there for 2 hours and in the meantime rang workplace relations. I was feeling faint and really upset as I knew the manager was not sending me on lunch on purpose as a bid to force me to leave. That night I looked up on the government website about hairdressing awards and legal bindings. I discovered that the salon was in breech of numerous laws, one including that they were to give employees a rostered lunch break which must not be changed without giving at least 24 hours notice. The next day I presented the law to the salon owner I had printed out and told her about the incident with the manager the day before and that I could not wait until 3pm to have a lunchbreak as the law states we are to have lunch within the hours of 12:15 and 2:15pm. I was given no sympathy and in quite the reverse was yelled at with, I quote: "I'm not here to give people lunchbreaks I'm here to keep people employed". This was out on the salon floor in front of a client. I walked out in tears and hysterics being fragile from pregnancy hormones. I rang work relations and they put me onto the anti-discrimination board. I went to my doctor and he diagnosed me with anxiety and stress and I was given a week off work. I then began lodging forms with the anti-discrimination board and have been fighting the salon throughout my pregnancy. The salon retaliated with false accusations, for example that I was dismissed from my position because I wasn't a good employee and that I had behaviour problems and it had nothing to do with my pregnancy. Yet in the same text they wrote - I asked if she still wanted to work for me on weekends when we are busy. Now I am 37 weeks pregnant and have just discovered that the anti-discrimination board will no longer deal with my case as they say it is a weak argument and I do not have enough proof to convict the dodgy salon. I am utterly guttered that my new fight is over and there is nothing more I can do unless I want to take legal action for which I do not have the funds nor the time anymore to do so being so close to giving birth and all. I just wanted to share with everyone that there are awful people like this out there that shouldn't be running businesses like they do. They get away with treating people like dirt and slip through the cracks by doing illegal things just to cut costs or get a little bit ahead.
If you are a Mum who has a story to tell or you know of one, email your story to admin@mumzone.com.au. If you have a photo feel free to include it in your email. |
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My
Boss Fired Me Because I was Pregnant! 