Pregnant federal employees who were fired grapple with stress of losing insurance and looking for work
Emily Erroa was eight months pregnant when she found out she was being fired from her human resources job at the Department of Energy.
Emily Erroa was eight months pregnant when she found out she was being fired from her human resources job at the Department of Energy.
“It stressed me out to the point where I did have to go into the hospital because I felt as though I caused too much stress to the baby,” she told NBC News. “They were calling me saying, ‘Oh, you’re fired. Oh, never mind. You’re not fired. You’re not on the list.’ And then they call me back and said, ‘You are on the list.’ These were way after work hours, and it was constant emails, daily things, and so now it’s affected everything.”
Erroa, a 38-year-old Army veteran and reservist, was based in Texas. Now, she's had to move to Kansas City, Missouri, to be closer to family.
"It’s not like I could just say, ‘Oh, well, fine, I’ll just go get another job.’ I’m visibly pregnant. Nobody would ever hire me in their right mind, even though it’s discrimination," she said. "But we live in reality, right? They would not hire me, and plus, I would need to have time off. My baby is due April 17."
Thousands of federal workers have been fired from their government jobs in recent weeks amid efforts from President Donald Trump, his billionaire adviser Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. But for Erroa and women like her, who are pregnant, the stakes are more challenging and complex.
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