An awkward text exchange between a pregnant employee and her boss over maternity leave has sparked outrage online.
UK career expert Ben Askins, known for calling out toxic workplace behavior on social media, shared the exchange with his followers, branding the employer “one of the top three of the worst bosses I’ve come across”.
The TikTok video, which has been viewed nearly 590,000 times, features Ben reading aloud the highly uncomfortable text conversation.
It all began when the employee messaged her manager to confirm receipt of her email about taking maternity leave from February.
The boss’s response immediately raised eyebrows.
“I saw it, and I wanted to talk to you about it. Is there any way you’d consider reducing how long you want to take? If you are sure you are going to go ahead with it, would you be open to discussing it all? I am just a bit worried about the costs from our side,” the boss said.
Taken aback, the woman tried to explain why she wanted to take her full, legally entitled leave — even offering to help ease the transition for her replacement.
“Oh OK, um I was kind of hoping to take as much time as possible. This is my first child and I wanted to get as used to being a parent as possible, especially as my family lives quite far away,” she replied.
“I will ensure all my responsibilities are handed over seamlessly and help interview for mat cover but I really do want to take the full amount.”
But her boss doubled down, insisting her leave would place a “burden” on the small company.
“The challenge is that this is a small company, and it’s quite a burden to have to pay both your mat leave and your mat cover. I am just not sure how we can cope.”
Remaining polite, the woman stood her ground.
“I appreciate that but this isn’t fair to put on me, I am happy to support but I am well within my rights to do this,” the employee said.
“I will try and support however I can, make sure everything is in place for a smooth handover and can also be on call for emergencies if that helps?
“Is my pregnancy going to be a problem for my role in the company?”
Sensing he may have gone too far, the boss backpedalled.
“Not at all! Your pregnancy is absolutely fine by me, we are a family company.”
But he couldn’t resist adding another guilt trip: “Just not ideal timing for me that is all. But if you are not going to help out and reduce the time then nothing really further for us to talk about I guess.”
Ben was appalled, telling viewers the exchange was “disgusting”.
“He’s trying to use guilt to basically get her to kind of waive her rights … because you can then sort of go, ‘Oh no, she agreed with it,’” he said.
“That is not her f***ing problem, that is your problem. If she’s not an equity holder, she’s not a director in the business, it’s not her company, that is your problem.”
Ben then praised the employee for making a “reasonable” request, even going above and beyond to offer extra help despite being entitled to her full leave.
The video has since been flooded with furious comments, with many calling out the “manipulative” boss and others even suggesting legal action.
“This is not her problem,” said one viewer.
“This is a lawsuit waiting to happen,” said another.
“She should not have to explain herself,” wrote a third.
It seems the incident struck a chord because many had similar horror stories.
“I had a line manager refuse to discuss it with me because ‘your baby could still die right up until the end,’” shared one user.
“My old manager tried to convince me to have an abortion … they wondered why I didn’t want to go back after having my baby,” wrote another.
In Australia, the Fair Work Act guarantees eligible employees up to 12 months’ unpaid parental leave after 12 months of continuous service.
Some also qualify for government-funded parental leave pay or employer-funded leave — sometimes both.
And as many pointed out, maternity leave isn’t a “favor” — it’s the law.
“Wow …. save this, go to an employment lawyer. Get settlement, enjoy!” one commenter advised.
“This is a slam dunk mat discrimination case. Employers need to understand that claim awards are potentially unlimited,” added another.
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