By musicalkitcat - 05/10/2009 15:45 - United States

Today, one of my best friends went into labor 14 days early. I'd told my boss previously about this and that I need to be there for my friend as she doesn't really have any family. My boss will not let me leave work to be there. Why? I didn't give enough notice. FML
I agree, your life sucks 41 066
You deserved it 3 375

Same thing different taste

Top comments

I'm really confused by half of these comments. She gave her boss advance notice that her friend would be having a baby. Hate to break it to you, but babies don't care much about our schedules, and will come out when they're ready. Due dates are a rough estimate, and very few people actually have their baby on the due date the doctor gave them. Maybe she should have kept her legs closed? There is no explanation as to the circumstances behind this birth. For all you know, she could be married, but her husband is deployed, so her best friend wants to be there for her. And nothing here says she can't handle parenthood. I know that if m husband weren't able to be there, I'd want my best friend with me. That doesn't mean I won't be a good parent. You guys are beyond ignorant and I pray to God you never have children. OP, yeah this does suck, but like #4 says, your boss isn't obligated to let you off. Sorry

So you leave anyway, take a day of absence. Vomit and claim you have swine flu. Start chewing off your arm, etc.

Comments

Situation sucks, but unfortunately FMLA doesn't apply if you aren't the mother/father of the child, or the legal guardian of the new mother in cases where she is under 18.

Zhejan 0

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Are you trying to be funny? Babies rarely come on time. It's normal for them to be late or early. In fact, I myself was almost 6 weeks early, which has not caused me any problems, and my sister was a week and a half early.

sbarre1 0

How was that relevant at all? O_o

Poor ayse; she was replying (albeit confusingly) to a comment that is no longer there.

AnaMaree 0

Abortion is murder!!!!! That's why everyone gets away with it.

quarty165 0

#16 abortion is NOT when the baby has no chance of survival outside of the womb and dies inside. That's called a MISCARRIAGE, and while that is a big deal, it's not controversial or murder. that can't be helped. abortion can.

actually that's not at all what abortion is dummy.

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Not very broad minded, are you. There is a plethora of excuses. Not all 'good', but certainly valid. Jail, business trip, hospitalized, missionary work, any job that he just can't leave at a moments notice, the dad left town when he heard the joyful news..

What father would go on a business trip or do mission work two weeks before he knows his wife/girlfriend/baby mama was going to have a child?

Probably one of those deadbeats who ran off as soon as he found out.

Sun_Kissed18 25

Or maybe he had to leave for a month on business and figured the baby wouldn't come 2 weeks early?

quarty165 0

and neither would make it ok to be alone. you can't be mad at the dad in those cases, but it's still gonna suck to give birth alone. and so alone you don't even have family nearby

Hunnibum 0

dude, chill. she has a reason to be upset by not being there for her friend . you're on **** My Life, learn how to accept people whining on here.

So you leave anyway, take a day of absence. Vomit and claim you have swine flu. Start chewing off your arm, etc.

Ya go into the bosses office and say over and over how 'sick' you are that you can't be there for your friend... then ya make the dry heaves sound as loud as you can.... She'll let ya go.

birds_fml 7

Just leave. Most companies can't fire you for skipping one day. Most places I've worked for had a "no call, no show" policy where you had to do that 3 times before you were fired. You should've just left early without telling her.

I'd just leave, say I'm going to the hospital and feel the "wrath" later on.

fretforyerlatte 0

well, it's not very cool of him but honestly, he's not obligated to let you go. it's not your family or anything. sucks but that's the way it is. but at any rate, having a baby usually takes awhile, you probably have time to get there anyway.

Doesn't always take a while, my Mum was only in labor for 90 minutes before I was born....

Brooklynxman 0

Agreed with 3. Fake it and leave.

ozymandias_fml 0

FYourBossesL -- you are trying to skip out of work and stick him with the slack. Face it -- you would not be employed if there was not *something* that you are expected to get done, and to skip out and stick your coworkers with covering for you with no notice is dickish.

If they didn't need the human in this fml to do her job, they wouldn't have hired her

Hunnibum 0

but by that logic whenever there is a family emergency or she is very sick, she cannot call off either. She can make the work up some other time, when her friend is NOT giving birth.

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Are you ******* kidding me? I hope you never have a baby!!

hockeyfml555 0

Really, I kind of agree. She is expecting special treatment, because her friend is having a baby. Unless you're the parent, no one really is obligated to let you go. You shouldn't be moping because your boss didn't let you shirk your responsibilities to watch someone pop out a baby. If her friend can't deal with having a baby herself, then she probably can't deal with raising it. She got pregnant. She's having a baby. No big deal, in your world. Unless you're like... her lesbian partner, it doesn't really matter if you're there, and you shouldn't get special treatment and released her. Yeah, it sucks... but you have to work, and she has to shoot that kid out without you there... somehow, I think she'll live. And you'll live to see the kid after work, I imagine.

Hunnibum 0

for one thing, a friend can be closer than family..you wouldnt say this if the op was her mother. second, you have no idea why shes having a baby. it could be rape. it could have been with a guy who seemed sweet but walked out. who knows. you should keep your mouth shut.

Sprinter136 2

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AKEEM 0

yo numer 13 and 46 u have no idea of the situation for all u know she could have been raped and confided in her friend with her belief system kept the baby most likely needs her their for emotional support. u should break out of ur bubbles sometime. u know keep ur mind open.

From a medical standpoint you NEED someone there with you incase you cant make decisions for yourself. I had a routine pregnancy but went into labor early, not near my hospital or doctor and almost bled to death during my delivery. If you're unconscious and cant make medical decisions for yourself you want a medical proxy there to make decisions for you, inform your doctors of previous medical conditions, your birth plan, your blood type. You're being kind of a selfish dick for suggesting birth isn't still special, its damn sure not routine for a lot of women. You can go in thinking you're going to have a regular birthing experience and need a cesarean or worse. Also it hurts like all holy hell. You can be perfectly adapt to having and raising and child and still be unprepared for the pain of childbirth. If a friend with no family has a medical emergency (going into labor two weeks early justifies as that) I would do whatever I could to get off work and make sure they had a familiar face for the emotional support and in case something horrible happened and they needed an advocate in the hospital.

Her thing is that she gave plenty of notice that it would happen soon and her boss OKed it. So if it were time off for sumthin else and then the boss backed out betcha would be on her side. Ass.

That's why organized labor is so important! Chaotic labor is so messy.

If she's "one of" your best friends, don't you have any friends in common? Perhaps one of them could've gone to support her. This seems to be more about you and what you want-- especially since you posted it on FML.