One Illinois mother is out of a job after deciding to stay home from work to take care of her special needs kid.
Rhiannon Broschat says she was fired from Whole Foods Market in Chicago recently after her special needs son's school was closed and she couldn't find someone to look after him. (Via AOL)
Chicago Public Schools closed in the area Jan. 28th after a windchill of -30 was forecast for the day. However, Whole Foods and several other businesses were not closed. (Via WBBM)
"Instead of understanding the situation that I was in the following day they called me to tell me I was terminated due to abusing their attendance policy." (Via Chicago Sun-Times)
ThinkProgress spoke with a Whole Foods representative who said the company's attendance policy works on a point system — allowing for five unexcused absences in the span of six months. The site says Broschat was aware she was on her final warning, but, after speaking with a person in leadership of the store, felt she was not in danger of getting fired.
Workers at Whole Foods protested Broschat's firing, going on strike and holding up signs in support of her outside of the store. (Via Twitter / @micahuetricht)
"How, Whole Foods Market, can you stand by women and take my co-worker and kick her out into the cold, leave her without a job, leave her son without care and without help?" (Via WMAQ)
Whole Foods says fewer than 10 of its 1,500 area employees called in that day. Broschat says she would accept her job back if it's offered to her.
