Had my employer treated me with decency and respect during my pregnancy, I believe I would not have miscarried my baby. Unfortunately, my story is not unique. Pregnant workers around the country are constantly facing harsh workplace conditions – denied the modest accommodations they need to stay healthy and on the job. My job at a warehouse in Tennessee was often physically strenuous with long 12-hour shifts on my feet and no air conditioning.
Three years into my job, at 13 weeks pregnant, I was 12 hours into my shift lifting heavy boxes, when I started experiencing extreme stomach pain. I told my supervisor and requested to leave early. I had previously submitted documentation from my doctor requesting to avoid heavy lifting for my health, but it was frequently ignored. She made clear that if I left early, she would reprimand me. So I stayed and worked an extra hour in terrible pain. I had no choice. I couldn’t afford to lose my job. I left when the pain became too much to bear and my feet began to swell. Despite having worked more than 13 hours straight, my supervisor still reprimanded me for leaving before my shift was complete.
The next morning, I woke up to find my bed drenched in blood. I went to the hospital and my doctor told me there was nothing they could do — I was having a miscarriage. I still carry the pain of my pregnancy loss with me. It also angers me that many years after this happened to me, it’s still happening, mostly to women of color in low-wage,...
YouTuber Jeon Han-gil, accused of defaming President Lee Jae Myung and Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok by spreading false information, attended a warrant review hearing. Seoul Central District Co...