Discrimination Update

[Casey_03]

After my employer informed me the company would not get me a work permit (which is needed for residency) because I am pregnant, I fought back and went semi-public about it on Facebook. Loads of newspapers contacted me asking to write about the situation but I told them to wait, as my lawyer told me to refrain from publicity right now. After posting on FB, my boss called me and issued a series of subtle threats -- telling me i'm embarrassing the newspaper, putting my colleagues at risk, reminding me i still have my job, etc. I informed him that I have hired a lawyer. The lawyer informed me that the stated reasons for the work permit refusal are outright lies -- that the laws cited by my company in refusing the work permit do not even exist in Ukrainian law (there is no law stating that pregnant woman are not entitled to work permits). This is just the company not wanting to pay me maternity leave, and not wanting to go official with their taxes. Even though I have a lot of support behind me and the lawyer keeps telling me I am in the right, I think this is a losing battle. And that means I am now homeless and pregnant. And still being harassed and bullied by the baby's father, who keeps finding ways to have our former mutual friends contact me. Even if my company finds a conscience and gets me the work permit, in order to turn the work permit into official residency, i'd have to leave the country to do so -- which i cannot do very soon, since i'm approaching the 7 month mark and after that cannot travel. So unless they miraculously get me the permit tomorrow, i am screwed. I will be here as an illegal alien while heavily pregnant. I will have to give birth while living here illegally, and i will then have to singlehandedly take care of a newborn baby while being here illegally.. Which means no bank transactions, because they demand some form of proof of residency. No proper medical care. And the chance of getting in trouble with migration authorities at any moment.. It's either that, or I leave the country, but doing that means I lose my job (the only source of income i have to take care of this baby and pay for this birth), and I have nowhere to live. I can go back to the states, but would have no money to rent an apartment, no one to stay with long term. This is insane. Did I do something to deserve this? Is there a reason bad things keep happening? It was bad enough to have the baby's father abusing me and bullying me; work was my only source of stability. but now, they too have abandoned me and hung me out to dry. me and my baby.

 

[Changing4Best]

I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. I wish there would be something I could do to help you, but a las, all I can do is pray. I hope you would like me to pray for you?