AITA for firing an employee returning from maternity leave?

YTA

So your company offers 10 months of maternity leave - sure for places like America this is long but in reality it’s closer to the minimum of what it should be. Pregnancy changes your body in crazy ways and it takes months to recover fully, ripping a mother away from her baby prematurely can also cause issues for the baby and risks their safety.

This woman has done nothing wrong - she’s taken off the period that this company offers after making another human, recovering from that and keeping this tiny human alive. She’s gone through bodily trauma, sleepless nights and extremely hard work just for you to act as if she’s done wrong by following company procedure, what’s her reward for finally returning back to work after such a hard period of her life? Oh right, being fired when she’s got a child to provide for now. Wonderful.

You’ve also been an ass to your other workers by increasing their workload without a payrise then for underpaying this new employee. The ideal thing to do would’ve been getting a new employee to cover Jess’ work yes but offering it as a temp position not taking on a seventh employee permanently.

You’ve been unfair to Jess, your other workers and this new employee. I hope she can sue you or at least get you demoted because all of these people deserve better.

/r/AmItheAsshole Thread