It just means they can't make it too obvious. I was in the hospital for 3 months, (totally unpaid) after working for the same company for 4 years. I came back the day it ended, then for 13 months they slowly retaliated against me by taking away work from me specifically (while my department was swamped) ignoring everything I said, making me think other coworkers couldn't trust me anymore, sending me home early, then finally pushing me out the door with a severance package only on the condition I didn't sue. I didn't even have enough money to fight it with the extra severance money, even if was allowed to. Now the company doesn't even exist anymore. I'd already taken a massive chunk out of my savings for medical care and rent while in the hospital, and had to plan for what turned out to be 3 more months of no income before finding a job that didn't even allow me to keep my apartment or have health insurance anyway. Most people don't have 6 months+ of savings, or they do and think "No, I'll be safe. I'm financially responsible!" I couldn't afford medicine or care. I got sicker. Now I'm not as fit for the workplace as I had been if I'd just had medical care and a stable job, because my chronic health conditions are much worse.