Most debates about "work-life balance" focus on how jobs take over people's lives, with costs to personal relationships and well-being. But some employees have the opposite problem with a "life-work imbalance" that forces them to take time off for personal reasons. And, if a boss isn't understanding, they might fire you.
That's what happened to one Redditor who was handed a pink slip in her first week on the job as a payroll administrator — right after she took a day off to care for a sick toddler.
As she shared on Reddit (1), she started on a Monday, came in on Tuesday and asked to take Wednesday off to care for her son, got the OK, and then came in Thursday and was fired.
"I was let go in the morning for not being a good fit due to time," she wrote. "My question is, is this job market for real?"
She asked Redditors whether it was fair that she was fired or if the company "sucks." Most commenters said it may not be fair, but it was within bounds.