TikTok Video Shows Woman In Labour Texting Boss From Hospital Bed. This Hustle Work Culture Is So Toxic!

Giving birth is stressful enough for women but what if you have to take care of your work at the same time? Yes, you heard it right! A woman named Marissa Pierce who lives in the United States caught everyone’s attention and made them realise that the hustle work culture we have today is so toxic. Marissa posted a video of herself on TikTok, where you can see she’s overthinking about an email she was about to send her boss while she was in active labour in the middle of a pandemic. Okay, I’m dead!

In the video, she can be seen reading the email out loud. “I am in labour. I just got admitted to the hospital, smiley face. Would it be OK if my mom or brother picked up my paycheck tomorrow, question mark,” Marissa then asks her partner if her message sounds okay to which he replies “perfect.” The video is from July 2020 when she gave birth to her and her boyfriend’s first son, Charles. The video went viral and garnered more than 5 million views and people in the comments highlighted the toxic and dark side of modern work culture. 

“I empathize with all of the commenters talking about their lack of parental leave. I am extremely disappointed in the United States’ lack of maternity and paternity leave. Most people that I know worked up until they went into labor like I did. I know people who have gone back to work just weeks after having children. I was unfortunately offered no maternity leave and my partner was offered no paternity leave. He went to work less than 24 hours after we came home from the hospital,” Marissa told BuzzFeed.

Also Read: A Pregnant Woman Was Asked To Finish A Work Meeting After Her Water Broke. Why Do We Romanticise Women Overworking?

To me, this is all a big thumbs down to toxic work culture. Parents shouldn’t be stressed out about having to take off work while having a baby, especially a mother, and paid maternity and paternity leave is a must.

Have you ever experienced such a situation at work and what are your thoughts about maternity and paternity leave in the US?

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