My Maternity Leave Was Approved... Until I Realized What My Boss Really Planned

When one woman told her boss she was expecting, he seemed genuinely supportive — even approving her paid maternity leave without hesitation. But what happened next turned her world upside down. Left broke, blindsided, and battling for basic fairness, her story shows how workplace promises can quickly unravel into betrayal.

The letter

Hi!

When I told my boss I was pregnant, he gave me the warmest smile and said, “That’s amazing news! Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.” I felt so relieved. We talked about maternity leave, and I was approved for 12 weeks paid — all in writing. I thought I was safe.

Fast-forward to about a month into my leave — I checked my bank account and panicked. No deposit. Checked the payslip: zero dollars. No explanation, no warning. I called my boss, thinking it was some payroll glitch. He goes, totally casual, “Oh, yeah... I let HR know you were taking unpaid leave to help out with the department’s budget. Hope that’s okay.”

I was like... What? He never even asked me. I pushed back, and he just shrugged and said, “Well, you’re not working, so why should you get paid? We’ve got other employees covering for you — they deserve the extra cash more.”

That’s when I found out he’d taken my salary and split it into “bonuses” for the rest of the team to “keep morale high.” Like he was doing them a favor with my paycheck.

Meanwhile, I’m home with a newborn, barely sleeping, burning through my savings just to buy diapers and groceries — while also emailing HR nonstop, chasing answers, and trying not to lose my mind. I even started looking into legal help, but honestly, who has the energy or money for that when you’re holding a baby 24/7?

Then I came back to work... and this man had the audacity to greet me with a huge grin and go, “Welcome back to the team! We missed you!” Like nothing ever happened.

I don’t even know what to do now. I feel humiliated. Like I was robbed and then gaslit. Was it naive of me to expect integrity? Do I escalate this, or just cut my losses and move on?

A very tired, very fed-up mom Natalie.

What we think.

• No, you’re not overreacting—this is unethical and potentially illegal.
  What your boss did wasn’t just disrespectful; it may violate labor laws depending on where you live. Paid maternity leave, once approved, is a formal agreement. Reallocating your salary to others without your consent is a misuse of company funds and a breach of HR protocol. If you haven’t yet, keep documentation (emails, payslips, messages) and speak with your HR rep or a workplace lawyer. Your trust was broken—and that matters.
• You deserve better than a boss who makes your maternity leave feel like a burden.
  Instead of celebrating this major milestone with you, he treated your absence as a budget opportunity. Good leadership doesn’t punish maternity, it plans for it with grace and respect. His “reward the team” mindset came at your expense, financially and emotionally. That’s not leadership. That’s betrayal. Don’t let him normalize it.

• Rebuilding your financial confidence starts with reclaiming your power.
  Being forced to dip into your savings during a life-changing moment is not okay. Now’s a good time to talk to HR in writing, file a formal complaint, and ask for back pay or compensation. If they don’t respond fairly, consider external legal help or labor rights organizations in your area. Remember: maternity is not charity—it’s a right.
• Use your return to reframe your boundaries, starting with accountability.
  It’s tempting to stay quiet when you return, especially with a boss pretending everything’s fine. But if you feel strong enough, ask for a meeting and clearly express that this situation is not acceptable. You don’t need to yell or argue. Just stating facts, calmly and confidently, will remind him—and HR—that you won’t be taken lightly again.

• You’re not just "back to work"—you’re stronger, and you’ve earned respect.
  New motherhood is already full of sleepless nights and emotional shifts. To have dealt with betrayal on top of it and still return to the same workplace? That takes guts. You have every right to protect your peace, demand fairness, and reimagine what comes next—whether that’s healing, changing teams, or walking away with your head high.

Our readers’ opinion.

Here’s what readers think about this kind of injustice:

• OMG that is so messed up! I don’t know all the legal stuff, but honestly, I wish you could sue him for that. But lawsuits can drain your wallet and your sanity, and with a little one to take care of, you’ve already got enough on your plate. Maybe it’s worth looking for a new job, and the second you land something better, walk away and leave that jerk behind like a bad dream. © Lucy Hems / Facebook
• Should have taken him to court if you had a signed agreement. You would have won and be paid compensation. © Lydia Davies / Facebook
• Sue him and the company next time get it in writing. © Elizabeth Ward / Facebook

Here, you’ll find the story behind “My Brother Keeps Getting Women Pregnant” — and the real reason why it’s happening might just leave you speechless. What started as a bizarre pattern turned into a shocking truth no one in the family expected.