Denied Work From Home While Pregnant: The HR Case That Cost TQL $22M

Send us Fan MailThis week on Jaded HR, we dive into an HR nightmare that somehow checks every single box of what NOT to do.A pregnant employee. A doctor’s note. A simple work-from-home request.And a company that said… “nah, come into the office.”What happened next? A $22 million lawsuit that has HR professionals, employment lawyers, and workplace experts all asking the same question: what were they thinking?We break down the now-viral case involving Total Quality Logistics and unpack the real-world implications around:Pregnancy accommodations in the workplaceRemote work policies vs. medical necessityHR compliance, FMLA, and legal riskHow rigid company culture can backfire (spectacularly)Along the way, we also get into:Why “HR is here to protect the company” isn’t always the slam dunk people think it isThe dangers of blindly following policy without using actual human judgmentAnd yes… somehow TikTok HR advice catches a stray (as it should)If you’re in Human Resources, leadership, or just enjoy a good corporate cautionary tale, this episode is equal parts insight, frustration, and “you’ve got to be kidding me.”Because sometimes protecting the company… means not handing someone a $22M reason to sue you.🎧 Listen now for real talk on HR mistakes, workplace law, pregnancy discrimination, remote work, and how common sense isn’t always that common.Support the show