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Woman claims she was fired due to chronic illness: 'I asked for support, they threw me away'
The woman said she requested a temporary adjustment to her workload while her medication stabilised. However, her request was denied.
A woman on TikTok has sparked a discussion online after claiming that she was fired because of her thyroid condition. In a video posted on the platform, the user, who goes by ‘idonto aesthetic,’ shared her experience struggling with hypothyroidism and how her request for accommodation at work was allegedly rejected.
“I’ve been fired today because of hypothyroidism. It’s a condition that drains you completely. You’re tired, foggy, and even simple tasks feel impossible,” she said in the video.
The woman explained that she had been quietly managing her condition for months before deciding to speak to her managers. She requested a temporary adjustment to her workload while her medication stabilised, hoping to regain her full capacity.
“I finally opened up after like two months struggling in silence, thinking my managers would support me. I asked for just one month to let my medication stabilise so I could get better and take on full responsibilities. I asked for a work reduction,” she said.
You can watch the video here.
However, according to her, her request was denied, and she was given only one week’s notice verbally. “Their response, they gave me one week’s notice verbally, just like that, and that’s what hurt the most. I didn’t ask for pity, I asked for time, I asked for support, and instead they just threw me away,” she claimed.
The TikTok user did not disclose the name of the company involved.
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How did social media react?
Her post has since garnered thousands of views and sparked widespread discussion. Many users expressed outrage at what they described as a lack of empathy and understanding for employees with medical conditions. Several commenters also advised the woman to consider taking legal action against the company.
“You can take your employees to tribunal over this btw because it is illegal to ffire you over it,” one user commented.
“Dismissal is lawful if the employee's long-term illness makes them unable to do their job, but employers must investigate the situation, gather medical evidence, and explore alternatives like role changes before dismissing for capability or disability discrimination,” wrote another.
“I got Fired for time off for Mental health, The uk heat wave messed up my medication. Honestly No Employer cares about anyone,” shared a third user.
“If everything has played out as you have stated that sounds like they are on the wrong side of UK employment law. Contact ACAS. Start pulling together as much detail as you can about dates, any written communication, company policies etc,” suggested one user.
