I Chose My Dying Mom Over Work, My Boss Destroyed My Career in One Meeting

I never expected much from my workplace, knowing companies just want to make profit at the end of the day and the whole “we are a family” is just a charade. But I did believe that if you worked hard and stayed loyal to your job, your company would show basic human kindness when life got hard.

Apparently, that’s a very big thing to ask. I was wrong. What happened to me still feels unreal, and I keep replaying it in my head, wondering if I could have done anything differently.

Hi everyone! Thank you for sparing time to read my story. I’m desperate for advice, and also sharing this to warn others who might be in the same situation as me...

I work a regular office job. I get a steady paycheck, but I have a manager who is always pushing us to do more. For months, my mom had been sick. She was in and out of the hospital, and I was her main caregiver.

Balancing work and caring for a sick parent was already exhausting. I barely slept, and every day felt like I was running on empty. But I still tried to give my all as the hospital bills were high.

Then once right when I was getting ready to leave for the hospital, my boss stopped me and demanded I work overtime. I said, “I can’t, my mom is dying.”

I got a call from a nurse that my mom’s condition had gotten worse, and the doctors were worried. I expected some empathy but no. That is when everything spiraled.

He replied: “She’s 72. Do the work or you’re fired.” How cruel does one have to be to say something like that with a straight face?

I had no time to argue, so I rushed to the hospital anyway. My mother died that night. There’s no way I can ever recover from her loss...

I informed HR of the situation and returned to work three days later. Then I got a text from HR to come meet them.

I walked to their office and saw my boss already inside, talking quietly with the HR representative. She asked me to sit down and, to her credit, offered her condolences first. She said she was sorry for my loss and that she understood it has been a difficult time for me.

Then her tone changed. She folded her hands and said that unfortunately, work affairs and family matters are two separate things. My blood ran cold when she said that, according to the documents and employee performance report submitted by my boss and manager, my scheduled promotion had been canceled.

She explained that my recent performance and dedication to work was considered low. Because of that, I was placed on a two-month probation period where I would be strictly monitored and receive no bonuses.

She added that if I worked well during those two months, everything would go back to normal. But if my performance was not acceptable as judged by my boss, I would be fired.

I just sat there in shock. I had walked in expecting a short conversation about bereavement leave. Instead, I was being told my career had just taken a huge hit.

I tried to explain that I had been dealing with a family emergency at work and caring for a dying parent. I said anyone in my place would have struggled to focus. The HR rep listened, but kept repeating that the company had to follow policy.

My boss barely spoke. He just nodded along, like this was a routine meeting.

I walked out feeling hollow. I had just lost my mom, and now I was losing the promotion I had worked toward for years.

Part of me felt angry at the lack of empathy. Another part felt scared. Being on probation meant every small mistake could cost me my job...I am afraid that I’m gonna lose my job and go into debt.

What do I do? A small part of me wonders if I should have just stayed and finished the work. The thought makes me sick now.

Sometimes it is easy to feel like the world is getting colder. But kindness still shines warmly in our lives: 12 Stories That Prove Kindness Still Wins in a Cruel World