matenity/child care

[iriemom]

I am in Virginia and am 7 months pregnant. I work for a company that has about 30 - 40 employees. At 4 months pregnant I was placed on bed rest by my doctor and didn't know how far into my pregnancy I'd be able to return. I ended up being out for three months and can now only work part - time until the baby is due. I was actually replaced at my job, but when my replacement left them after two days of employment, the called me and told me they would hold my job for me, and I've been back to work part-time for almost two months now.
I stayed home sick with my daughter for one day and the next day had to leave an hour into my four hour shift to pick her up from school because she was ill. My employer pulled me aside before I left and told me that because they already gave me so much time off, and the fact that I'm "required" to have a back - up babysitter, I will be written up. In addition, she said if it happened again I could be termintated. Is this true? Do I have to sign the write up? This company has no employee handbook so no "back-up" daycare policy is even in place. Many employees there have children and have never even heard of this "back-up" daycare policy.

[LConnell]

While your employer cannot force you to have back-up child care, they can force you to certain acceptable levels of attendance, as long as they don't treat you differently because you are a woman. In your case, it sounds like that gave you quite a lot of time off. If they did the same for another employee (a male) and didn't hold him to the same standards as you have now, it could be seen as discrimination. Otherwise, their actions are legal.