DEAR MIM READERS: Was My Employer Right to Have Sacked Me For Claiming I Was Pregnant When I Wasn’t?

I have been married for over 10 years without a child and in all of the trauma that brings, I served the company diligently and rose to head a department.

Every one in the office knew my plight (I’ve never been pregnant for a day), but the typical me always had a smile for everyone notwithstanding.

However, about 3 months after returning from a long vacation abroad with my husband this year, I became so depressed. After series of fertility treatments including IVF in Nigeria, we had seen a renowned fertility expert based on referrals, still, it didn’t appear there was any hope in sight.

I was fast becoming a shadow of myself and people were beginning to notice. My husband and mother asked so often, “Where is your faith?” So, one day, after reading a book my husband gave me, I resolved not to give in to depression. I subsequently picked myself up and beefed up my faith by announcing to everyone, including those at the office, that I was pregnant. The news went viral. It boosted my faith and I was gradually becoming alive again.

To my utter shock, I got a brief by the company’s HR about a week later that I should submit a doctor’s report to support my claim. I told them to wait for me to get one from my doctor abroad to put them off but they kept pushing. Soon after, I was transferred to another department headed by a junior colleague. The company claimed this was to reduce my workload in view of my pregnant state.

That explanation didn’t make an iota of sense to me, so, I immediately protested and told them I was only pregnant by faith. I was subsequently sacked for telling a lie. Can you imagine?

The company did me such great injustice after several years of service and I have resolved to employ all available media to make them pay for it. The case in currently in court.

I mean, who does that? Was I wrong to have professed my fondest wish by faith to the company?