Woman says she was fired for taking maternity leave

[proud2BlibKansan]

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka woman says she was fired by the company that processes new managed health care benefits in Kansas because she took a leave after having a baby.

Jane Anabe says Policy Studies Inc. fired her for job abandonment in February.

The Kansas Health Policy Authority hired PSI last year to operate the state's HealthWave clearinghouse. The clearinghouse processes new applications for managed health care benefits under Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

Anabe had been working for PSI for less than two months when her baby was born. The company's policy allows eight weeks of leave for employees who have worked more than 90 days. Anabe says the policy doesn't say anything about leave for employees with less than 90 days.

more . . . http://www.fox4kc.com/news/sns-ap-ks--pregnancyleaveconflict,0,5600844.story

[Sanity Claws]

1. She's not protected by any law

FMLA requires the employee to have worked for at least a year with the employer in order to be covered.

If she was hired seven months along, they must have noticed she was pregnant when she was hired.

[Warpy]

4. Exactly, surely they noticed

and only a man would expect her to drop the kid and appear on the job the next day or even the next week.

[REP]

6. Maybe they thought she was 5 or 6 months - she didn't mention her pregnancy; they can't ask

See this link

http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-04-11/policy_leaves_new_mom_jobless

[REP]

2. Here's a better link

http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-04-11/policy_leaves_new_mom_jobless

She was informed in writing that she did not have enough time as an employee to qualify for leave, and what she was advised to do.FMLA is 12 months; they required 90 days - she simply was not covered.

[JuniperLea]

3. Maternity leave is through state disability... not medical benefits...

I'm not sure what this is all about, but it sorta smells.

[REP]

5. If she had worked there 90 days, she would have qualified for their leave program

Many employers do have leave programs in place, if only FMLA. This place was more generous, requiring only 90 days employment, not a year before granting maternity leave.

[Sanity Claws]

7. State disability?

What do you mean?

[crim son]

8. Yeah, I have a problem with this being newsworthy.

Surely if she was pregnant she would have made an effort to discover what the company's policies were before accepting the job. Or maybe not - perhaps she just assumed and alas, that was a mistake.