Being pregnant or mentally ill in the workplace can look, from some outsiders perspective, as a great way to easily flow by, and get premium shifts, or awesome maternity leave benefits.
This is sadly not true. While you may get more shifts as a mentally ill employee, depending on your availability, it does not mean you won’t be discriminated against, or even used as an employee. It may save your job in some cases, as even though an employer may wish to fire you because you are not quick enough at your job, or they may not like your personality, they may not actually have grounds due to your illness. At the end of the day you deserve respect in your workplace, and the understanding that just like everyone else you need the job to keep on making it through. People are equal not matter what their difference, even the mentally ill (if they are able to work without severe complication to their well being). Don’t be a jealous coworker, and hate on them, they have likely been through enough crap in their life, and honestly are just trying to make a living. And, I wonder how long it took them to get a job? Probably as long as you, if not longer. Its not important at the end of the day, whats important is that as human beings we all deserve an equal chance at a semi decent life. A chance to be happy, and do something on our own. Make our own choices of how hard we work, and how we go about it.
As a pregnant woman you will go through much of the same, but with the added maternity leave used against you. If you are like me, you will work through anything, a cold, migraine, and even a broken leg. Some employers loathe that, especially if their business is going through a rough patch, or they are just hating the idea that they have to pay their employees. If this is your case, they will likely try to persuade you into taking maternity leave, which sounds all honky dory on the outside but in practice really doesn’t account for a lot. If your full time, you will like get about 60%- 80% of your wages paid out during your time off, part time, well its just not worth it to be honest. Then there is the whole going down to the E.I offices, filling out paperwork, and waiting possibly a month before receiving any funds. Basically, its easier to just keep working until you really can’t anymore. They cannot tell you to go on maternity leave, they cannot fire you, but they can give you deferred work duties. It is their job to find a suitable place where you will not easily tire due to standing on your feet. If you do not believe me, just checkout your provinces workplace regulations, and laws that your employer must follow. Also, I bet you could find a lawyer happy to sue the pants off of some discriminatory company. Just saying.
Simply, while it may look like your coworkers are getting a skip ahead pass, it is not true. They are likely dealing with a lot emotionally, physically, and money wise. In most cases they do not think they are more important than you, but all they ask for is to be treated equally and not as some fragile object that is costing a company money simply by default of mental illness or creating the miracle of life. We were all babies once with the same possibility of being born mentally ill or physically disabled that would have made our lives difficult. Our mothers could have been the women being treated awfully by their employer, and coworkers. And we wouldn’t want that, right? I certainly hope not.
Respect each other as you want to be respected, and stand up for each other and yourselves, you are a human being who deserves equal opportunity and freedom of choice, just like everyone else.
-Says Marli.
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