can my employer threaten me to find new childcare?

by ambere
(medford, oregon)

i recently had a baby and was having trouble making it to a meeting on thursday mornings, my manager told me not to worry about going to the meetings and he would get it cleared with my district manager. so i didnt go...that morning my district manager called me and demanded to know why i wasnt there. i told her that my manager told me not to go because of my childcare issue. she then told me i have 2 weeks to find new childcare! i have state paid daycare so i couldnt just "find new childcare." when i told her that she basically said "i dont care" and hung up on me. i figured i would rather quit than get fired so i put in my 2 weeks and they walked me that day.


Hi,

Bad move Ambere. Quitting in anticipation of a discharge is generally found to be without good cause.

Your specific situation had possibilities for a discharge without good cause too.

An employer does not have to be concerned about our childcare issues .. that's our concern and even a state understands that our children come first, but that does not release of from the obligation to at least seek all alternative to avoid being fired first.

That's your problem.

So yes, an employer can threaten you that you had better find childcare .. they can even fire you for not finding childcare if it interferes with getting to work, but that does not mean that it is a discharge for good cause.

But quitting .. because you were threatened and thought it better to quit than be fired before seeking all alternatives .. no, no, no.