Pregnant Woman Rejected From Job Gets The Last Laugh

Pregnancy takes a huge toll on a woman’s body. A new mom’s body goes through continuous changes to nurture and carry a baby for over nine months.

Young women often have to figure out how they will afford the financial burden of a newborn. That was certainly the case for the young mom at the center of this story.

Lindsey + Felix = Love

Lindsey Wilcox tried looking for a job when she was pregnant, but she found it very difficult. In 2017, she met and fell in love with her boyfriend Felix Jiminez.

Woman posing in mirror selfie holding baby bump
@lindsey_megan1 / Twitter
@lindsey_megan1 / Twitter

The couple was deeply in love with each other and to no one’s surprise, Lindsey eventually announced her pregnancy.

Money Worries

The only worry for the young parents was whether or not they could afford a newborn solely on Felix’s income.

Person highlighting Jobs Wanted ads in newspaper
Photo by Ron Lach/pexels
Photo by Ron Lach/pexels

So Lindsey went job hunting for anywhere that would hire her.

The Difficulties Of Finding A Job While Pregnant

Of course, it’s tricky finding a job while pregnant.

Woman frustrated holding hair looking at laptop screen
Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels
Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels

A mother wants to think ahead and by the third trimester, she wants to ensure her job isn’t too hard on her body.

Lindsey’s Plan

That’s what Lindsey focused on when she began her job hunt.

Make it happen planner sticker
Bich Tran / Pexels
Bich Tran / Pexels

She wanted to find a part-time job that wouldn’t be hard on her body so she could enjoy this special time in her life.

Job Rejections

Lindsey applied to many jobs and while she landed some interviews she found that employers continued to reject her.

Stock photo woman holding baby's shoes
Matilda Wormwood / Pexels
Matilda Wormwood / Pexels

The hiring managers never said why, but Lindsey had a feeling that she wasn’t getting hired because she was pregnant.

Reececliff Family Diner

Through all the rejection, Lindsey never gave up. Finally, she found a job posting for a waitress position at Reececliff Family Diner on Facebook.

Help Wanted Sign in diner window
Tim Mossholder / Pexels
Tim Mossholder / Pexels

So, of course, Lindsey applied! She needed a job for her baby!

She Landed An Interview!

After she applied, she received a Facebook message from the restaurant asking if she was free for an interview the next day at 9 am.

Woman sitting at interview across from man
Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels
Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels

Lindsey said yes, and was honest ahead of time, telling the restaurant that she was pregnant at the time.

Nevermind…

Unfortunately, the employee messaging Lindsey on Facebook retracted the interview offer after finding out Lindsey was pregnant.

Woman looking frustrated with hands on head at laptop
Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels
Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels

Lindsey was disheartened and she sent a screenshot of her conversation to Felix.

Felix’s Outrage

Felix shared the screenshot on Facebook saying, “Let me just say this is wrong and I’m pretty sure illegal, and they won’t get another dollar from me.”

Screenshot of text message between restaurant and pregnant job applicant
Facebook
Facebook

People were outraged by the interaction when Felix shared it online and Lindsey’s story went viral.

Legal Advice

According to State and Federal laws in the United States, it is illegal to discriminate against someone who is pregnant because it is just their current circumstance.

pexels-sora-shimazaki-5668807
Sora Shimazaki / Pexels
Sora Shimazaki / Pexels

Many legal experts advised that Lindsey has every right to sue if she wanted and it would cost the restaurant.

The Face Of Struggling Moms

Many people commented on and shared the post which led to patrons protesting the diner. News outlets picked up the story and shared it as well.

Woman sitting at laptop with baby on lap
Anastasia Shuraeva / Pexels
Anastasia Shuraeva / Pexels

Lindsey had unintentionally become the face of struggling moms everywhere.

The Restaurant Owner Apologized

When the restaurant owner realized what had happened it was a bit too late. People were already boycotting his restaurant and he was losing business.

pexels-luciana-mesquita-13026171
Luciana Mesquita / Pexels
Luciana Mesquita / Pexels

The owner approached Lindsey and apologized for what happened, and even offered her the job.

Lindsey Rejected The Job Offer

But Lindsey got the last laugh because she rejected the owner’s job offer. After everything that had happened, she wanted nothing to do with the restaurant.

pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7055943
Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels
Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels

She was content with finding a job elsewhere and preparing for her baby girl.