Woman was fired because of her little kids

[kaytieeldr]

Daycares were shutdown where I am and having anyone (nanny) in your home was illegal until the end of May.

You couldn't have anyone in your home? What location? I mean, I can see not wanting to be in someone else's home - but wherever you are can order who can an can't be in the home you own? Plus, this happened in San Diego. Isn't the weather there usually nice? Couldn't the nanny be outside with the children as much as possible?

She was laid off on June 2, not July 2.

The lockdown started in mid-March. That still have her and every parent of small children more than two months to make arrangements.

She absolutely should be flexible. She claims they scheduled things during the lunch hour after she asked them for afternoons though.

She didn't hire a nanny until May 21 - and then, as indicated above, for hours not at all related to lunch or afternoons. How did she expect her (cough) "flexibility" to be effective?[/QUOTE]

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

You couldn't have anyone in your home? What location? I mean, I can see not wanting to be in someone else's home - but wherever you are can order who can an can't be in the home you own? Plus, this happened in San Diego. Isn't the weather there usually nice? Couldn't the nanny be outside with the children as much as possible?

The lockdown started in mid-March. That still have her and every parent of small children more than two months to make arrangements.

She didn't hire a nanny until May 21 - and then, as indicated above, for hours not at all related to lunch or afternoons. How did she expect her (cough) "flexibility" to be effective?

[/QUOTE]

I'm in Ontario, Canada. Yes, the government could fine you for having people in your own home until the restrictions were lifted. You were not allowed and most people followed the law which is why Covid cases are incredibly low here now. So your plan would be to stick them in the backyard or at the park for 8 hours a day? Would they nap outside too? My first ever job was in San Diego and it gets quite hot in the summer, not a very bright idea IMO.

There were no arrangements to be made when things are locked down and daycares don't know when they can re-open.

I get that not everyone believes the facts of Covid and they are willing to have people in their home. I personally would not have someone in my home. The fact that she hired a nanny shows her attempt at being flexible.

 

[kaytieeldr]

San Diego, CA (the entire United States, as far as I know) never had a restriction on having an extra person or five or ten in one's own home.


Staying outdoors with two small children as much as possible for three hours in the afternoons when the work from home parent needs to concentrate on work isn't sticking them outdoors for eight hours; the family clearly lives in a house, so no park necessary. They can stay in the home's yard, no park necessary. The mom bought lots of stuff to keep the children entertained, so it's not as if they'd have nothing to do. But the nanny volume have taken the children on that daily three mile walk.

Lockdown started in mid-March, so winter. Woman was fired June 2, so (granted, late) spring. No summer involved.

The nanny was not hired until more than two months after the employees started working remotely, and for four hours in the morning - which would have zero effect on her ability to work without distraction in the afternoon.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm in Ontario, Canada. Yes, the government could fine you for having people in your own home until the restrictions were lifted. You were not allowed and most people followed the law which is why Covid cases are incredibly low here now. So your plan would be to stick them in the backyard or at the park for 8 hours a day? Would they nap outside too? My first ever job was in San Diego and it gets quite hot in the summer, not a very bright idea IMO.

There were no arrangements to be made when things are locked down and daycares don't know when they can re-open.

I get that not everyone believes the facts of Covid and they are willing to have people in their home. I personally would not have someone in my home. The fact that she hired a nanny shows her attempt at being flexible.
[/QUOTE]
If she hired a nanny, why not get one for the whole day? I’m in NJ, we had some of the strictest lock down rules, but I had a washing machine delivered and installed, a refrigerator replaced, by Best Buy. They wore masks.

 

[Brianstl]

She absolutely should be flexible. She claims they scheduled things during the lunch hour after she asked them for afternoons though. I remember when my kids napped and you do want to put them down at the same time every day. Who knows the truth behind what was happening there, she could be greatly exaggerating or her supervisor could have been out to get her. I've had colleagues openly talk to me (even brag) about how they are working on getting rid of an employee they didn't like.

She was making social media post of her with her family outside during the afternoons after lunch. During the hours she said she was working, she wasn't working. Well she wasn't working for employer at least. She was working on trying to establish herself a mommy blogger. That is why she got fired. Her arrogance about the whole thing is a stunning display of entitlement.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm in Ontario, Canada. Yes, the government could fine you for having people in your own home until the restrictions were lifted. You were not allowed and most people followed the law which is why Covid cases are incredibly low here now. So your plan would be to stick them in the backyard or at the park for 8 hours a day? Would they nap outside too? My first ever job was in San Diego and it gets quite hot in the summer, not a very bright idea IMO.

There were no arrangements to be made when things are locked down and daycares don't know when they can re-open.

I get that not everyone believes the facts of Covid and they are willing to have people in their home. I personally would not have someone in my home. The fact that she hired a nanny shows her attempt at being flexible.
[/QUOTE]
Quite hot? Maybe if you are from Canada, but San Diego is known to have very mild weather, even in the summer and winter. Do you consider 70 - 80 degrees in the summer hot?

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

Quite hot? Maybe if you are from Canada, but San Diego is known to have very mild weather, even in the summer and winter. Do you consider 70 - 80 degrees in the summer hot?

It feels like 104 here today (humidity) which is unbearable to me but mostly due to the humidity. I did find San Diego to be hot but not as humid. Winter was great there! It's been 15 years since I was there so I'm not relying on recent memories.

I hope people don't get the wrong idea and think I'm 100% team blogger mom. I just feel that a fair number of posts are making her out to be a villain and no one knows all the facts. I've seen first hand how colleagues have maneuvered to get rid of employees they don't care for.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I just feel that a fair number of posts are making her out to be a villain and no one knows all the facts. I've seen first hand how colleagues have maneuvered to get rid of employees they don't care for.

To the bolded I have too but this doesn't pass the smell test as the reason why.

I think it would be great if we could all pack lunches and snacks, go on 3 mile walks RT, taking copious amount of photos to document and do this everyday rain or shine but that's not the reality of the majority of people thrust in this situation. She may be trying to portray a certain lifestyle and be a wreck behind the scenes I'll give you that. But as far as priorities you mentioned earlier...everyone wants work/life balance, some people cross over into the territory of wanting just the life but not the work. Maybe she found out that she was doing a menial job before and this pandemic gave her a taste of what it would be like to not have to do that.

There's a difference in blaming your place of employment when really you've just found it's not what you want anymore. I'm leaning towards that taste of more freedom made the actual working a distraction and a bother for her when before it was "this is just what it is" kinda of thing. Regardless doesn't rise to the level of blame on the employer and lawsuit.

You're right we don't have all the facts but we have her own words which comes off very and childish to be honest. I heard much more mature discussions from parents struggling and working through the challenges of this pandemic that it's almost an insult to them how she's treating it.

 

[starry_solo]

Ok, here's a quote from the article that was linked in the first post:

“The first week we were assigned to work from home due to COVID in mid-March, the comments started coming in,” Rios, 35, told The Post. “He was setting expectations and didn’t want to hear children on calls. He wanted complete silence,” she said, amplifying claims from her lawsuit."

I'm not from San Diego County, but from a county nearby. Governor Newsom issued the stay-at-home order in mid-March. I'm not sure how SD County law enforcement enforced the SAH order, but other law enforcement agencies within Southern California said they wouldn't be enforcing it. No citations for violating the orders (heck some Northern CA counties did the same thing until Governor Newsom sent state law enforcement agents there to crack down).

The employee already knew in March that it was a problem. It doesn't seem like she did anything. While we all like to have a work-life balance, one cannot simply be paid for not doing his or her job, regardless of whether he or she has kids.

San Diego County allowed day cares to re-open in mid-May. I know some in my county never closed (the ones that were connected to public schools).

If her employer had a lot of employees, she could have asked for leave pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Cares Act:
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pa...o an additional 10,care provider is closed or

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I'm in Ontario, Canada. Yes, the government could fine you for having people in your own home until the restrictions were lifted. You were not allowed and most people followed the law which is why Covid cases are incredibly low here now. So your plan would be to stick them in the backyard or at the park for 8 hours a day? Would they nap outside too? My first ever job was in San Diego and it gets quite hot in the summer, not a very bright idea IMO.

There were no arrangements to be made when things are locked down and daycares don't know when they can re-open.

I get that not everyone believes the facts of Covid and they are willing to have people in their home. I personally would not have someone in my home. The fact that she hired a nanny shows her attempt at being flexible.

She posted that she took them for a walk every day during those hours. If she could do it, there was no reason a nanny couldn’t do it, so the weather argument doesn’t hold.

 

[leebee]

Daycares were shutdown where I am and having anyone (nanny) in your home was illegal until the end of May.

I am curious... where do you live? I don't recall hearing anything about having anyone in your home being illegal here in the US, and you can be pretty sure that if some governor DID try to make that the case, people would have protested LOUDLY.

 

[sam_gordon]

“The first week we were assigned to work from home due to COVID in mid-March, the comments started coming in,” Rios, 35, told The Post. “He was setting expectations and didn’t want to hear children on calls. He wanted complete silence,” she said, amplifying claims from her lawsuit."

Don't most video calls (and even cell phones) have a "mute" switch? Even if the kids are making noise in the background, it's common courtesy (or it should be) to mute your mic unless you actually have something to say.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The employee already knew in March that it was a problem. It doesn't seem like she did anything.

Yet she did not make alternate arrangements - hiring a nanny - until May 21, according to one of the linked articles.

If her employer had a lot of employees, she could have asked for leave pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Cares Act:

Nationally, 10,000 or so. Apparently across many offices.

 

[LilyWDW]

EVERYONE should be held to the same expectations. Having a kid doesn't make you immune to that. If other employees have to be on a meeting at 11am or whatever, you do too. An adjustment here or there? Fine. Ongoing issues? Not fine. Expecting others to work around your schedule? Not fine. Expecting others to bend over backwards to accommodate you having a kid? Not fine.

Having a kid is a choice. If you choose to have one, don't expect to be treated special.

 

[GreatLakes]

Don't most video calls (and even cell phones) have a "mute" switch? Even if the kids are making noise in the background, it's common courtesy (or it should be) to mute your mic unless you actually have something to say.

Not just that but they make mics that are extremely good at filtering out background noise and inline noise gates that would muffle even loud noises. All of it would be cheaper than a firing but probably would generate clicks.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

She was making social media post of her with her family outside during the afternoons after lunch. During the hours she said she was working, she wasn't working. Well she wasn't working for employer at least. She was working on trying to establish herself a mommy blogger. That is why she got fired. Her arrogance about the whole thing is a stunning display of entitlement.

I wondered about that so I went and looked. You're right, a bunch of posts on her facebook page in the middle of the week during normal work hours in April/May:
https://www.facebook.com/moderncalimom
In the article it mentioned a "time management" program that her employer enrolled her in. I imagine that was a warning related to her doing personal tasks during work hours.

Her employers, whom she said “have teenage children and stay-at-home wives,” took the liberty of enrolling Rios in time management training, the lawsuit claims, which she considered an insult.

 

[pineapplepalms]

There are several things she could've done to lessen the impact her children had on her job. A 4 year old, if well behaved, should be able to understand the concept of "quiet time". The one year old is tricky, but a good parent should be able to find entertaining things for the young one. I"m hoping this wouldn't mean putting an I-pad in front of a child (don't get me started about the brain impact too much screen time has on young children).

I mean... I think this is easier said than done. If you have 1 and 4 year olds during this pandemic then I would think you'd know they don't always behave exactly how you want them to. If yours do, please share your secrets.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Really? He was one working from home most of the time to begin with, so he was expected to be professional from the get go. His company has 17500 employees, most were sent home in mid March. .

My company has also had people home since March, but we only have 2,000 employees. As long as we get our work done, it's not a super big deal if there is an interruption during a meeting. Then again, my team also doesn't meet with clients. I suppose my perspective is skewed in that respect.

 

[CarolAnn856]

If she was a high performer and a valuable asset to the team most companies would allow her to bring her kids to the office if that meant keeping her.

I’m thinking there were many other issues to letting her go.

I agree that there were likely contributing factors, but I disagree with the bolded. She had clients - that is not a job where bringing your kids to work is likely going to happen. And I don’t think that, even with non-client/customer-facing jobs would “most” companies allow kids in the office. That’s still very much the exception, not the rule.

As for the individual in the article, she sunk her own boat. I absolutely do you think that women have experienced a greater burden with childcare during the pandemic, and the fact that women are still pretty far behind men in the workplace is pretty indisputable. But this is not the case to support that argument, at all.

 

[mom2rtk]

I agree that there were likely contributing factors, but I disagree with the bolded. She had clients - that is not a job where bringing your kids to work is likely going to happen. And I don’t think that, even with non-client/customer-facing jobs would “most” companies allow kids in the office. That’s still very much the exception, not the rule.

As for the individual in the article, she sunk her own boat. I absolutely do you think that women have experienced a greater burden with childcare during the pandemic, and the fact that women are still pretty far behind men in the workplace is pretty indisputable. But this is not the case to support that argument, at all.

I agree. Not a single kid in the offices I worked in ever. Not mine or anyone else's. Except a few older kids on "take your kid to work" day.