I was working at a pub for an owner with high standards. Once I became pregnant it became very difficult meeting those ‘standards’.

My morning sickness was the worst – I was constantly throwing up through out the day, fighting migraines and fatigue. I didn’t want to just give in, I still went to work on time and tried my very best to show them I was committed to my job there as a server.

By the time I hit four months it started taking its toll on me, being on my feet eight hours at a time some days till 1am. They still expected so much from me and my manager would complain saying I’m always not feeling good, and that she’s getting complaints that I am not doing my best and it’s making her look bad. All she cared about was how she looked and how her company looked, which I understand. But being the state I was in I just didn’t understand why she was so hard on me for it. They still expected me to be 100% no matter how ill I actually was.

I still kept a smile on my face and tried to hide being sick as best I could. After a while I felt fine and was okay for most of my shifts, I was starting to feel like me again but one morning I woke up to get ready for work and I couldn’t stand up without feeling faint and puking. It was a rough morning. So I decided to call in sick – and I might add I never call in sick. Yet so many other girls call in sick religiously and still some how get more respect than ever from my manager.

Anyway, I called in sick and she told me that I need to go on medical leave and that she was going to cover the rest of my hours. I was telling her I’m trying my best here and I know I’m not as strong as I used to be, and she is acting sympathetic but I knew she actually didn’t care and just wanted me out of there, still implying she needs me out of there and sending me on my way. So here I am six months pregnant still waiting for my medical leave cheque…no income whatsoever because I wasn’t good enough. My family thinks I should go to the labour board and report her, but knowing how she is, I probably wouldn’t win the case.