i have worked for a company for 2 1/2 years. my company is in florida and the main company is in mississippi. when doing my job interview i was asked had i planned on adding to my family. for fear that i would not get the job i said no. i had a miscarriage after working for them a year. i had to get doctor's notes and hospital records to them just to get paid a week salary. even though i used my sick time that they offer there other employees. i now am 6 months pregnant. i have 5 weeks paid leave saved up and in our employee handbooks i am given the right to use these as maternity leave. the only stipulation is after 6 weeks my job is not guarnteed. i have heard through a friend that works in the main office that they are planning not to pay me my maternity leave pay by firing me just before i have the baby. i am trying to do everything the way they say to give them no reason. but what are my rights if they come to me and say that they are going to fire me.

How many employees does this company have at the site at which you work and within a 75-mile radius?

There are eight employees within a 75-mile radius of our location. seven of these are at my shop.

Given the size of your worksite, the FMLA does not apply and they do not have to offer you any leave at all. All they need to do is offer you as much time off as they would any other similarly situated employee who is not eligible for FMLA. Obviously I don't know what your employer's policies are but if they're allowing you to take all accrued sick time, presumably they're doing that. They don't have to guarantee your reinstatement to work at all but if they have agreed to do so if you return to work within six weeks, that's more than they're obligated to do.

Before you listen to quite possibly unfounded rumors and idle speculation from your "friend," I suggest you speak to your supervisor regarding your situation. Firing you for some trumped-up reason just before you have the baby would be such a blatant violation of the law that the odds are your friend is talking nonsense - and not doing you any favors by getting you all worked up while you're pregnant.

Good luck.