The owner of clothing brand Kyte Baby has apologized, twice, after an employee was allegedly denied the option to work from home after adopting a 22-week-old premature baby.
Ying Liu, founder of Kyte Baby, has taken to TikTok to respond to the criticism after employee Marissa Hughes was canned after her request to work from home to care for her newborn baby in a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit nine hours away was rejected.
“I really want to apologize to him and the community, and I really want to take this opportunity to say that I’m sorry,” Liu said in a second apology video Thursday.
Liu had posted an apology the previous day, but quickly doubled down after critics accused it of sounding “scripted.”
Hughes and husband Rawley, of Dallas, adopted their baby Judah Al Haven Hughes in late December after getting a call from their adoption agency.
Judah is nine hours away in El Paso, Texas, where he was born prematurely at 22 weeks and weighed barely a pound, the new family revealed on GoFundMe.
Ying Liu, founder of Kyte Baby, has taken to TikTok to respond to the massive criticism. Kytebaby/Tiktok “I really want to apologize to him and the community.” Kytebaby/Tiktok
Because the baby was born early, he had “multiple health concerns” and needed extended hospital care and was expected to be released from the NICU by the end of March, Hughes revealed in a fundraiser that has raised nearly $40,000.
Hughes, who has not publicly commented on her alleged firing, reportedly asked to work from the hospital while her baby was admitted but was only offered two weeks.
Hughes and her husband Rawley adopted their baby Judah Al Haven Hughes in late December after getting a call from their adoption agency. Marissa Hughes / Gofundme
The Post has reached out to Hughes for comment.
The new mother’s term at Kyte Baby is under a year, meaning she is not eligible for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
To be eligible for FMLA, an employee must work for a company with more than 50 employees and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months preceding the leave, according to the Department of Labor. FMLA gives workers 12 weeks of unpaid leave, while maintaining benefits, such as health care.
Judah was nine hours away and was born prematurely at 22 weeks and weighed barely a pound. Marissa Hughes / Facebook
Adoptive parents are also eligible for maternity leave if the company offers it. It’s not clear if Kyte Baby did.
Hughes, who suffered from infertility before deciding to adopt, was allegedly told if she did not return after two weeks, she would no longer have a position at Kyte.
However, Hughes’ sister revealed in a now-deleted video on TikTok that another Kyte employee, who was pregnant, was offered time off and even invited to the company’s warehouse to pick up products from her registry.
Hughes, who had been infertile for three years before the adoption, was allegedly told if she did not return after two weeks, she would no longer have a position at Kyte. Marissa Hughes / Facebook
Liu said he was the one who “vetoed his request to go the distance” and admitted in hindsight it was a “terrible, insensitive and selfish decision.”
“[I] just focused on the fact that the work is always done on site and I don’t see the possibility of doing it remotely,” the baby brand owner said in a TikTok video.
“I can’t imagine the pressure she had to go through because she didn’t have the option to go back to work and had to deal with a newborn in the NICU,” continued Liu. “Looking back, it was really a huge mistake. I own 100% of that.”
The new mother’s term at Kyte Baby is under a year, meaning she is not eligible for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). To be eligible for FMLA, an employee must work for a company with 50+ employees and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months prior to the leave. Marissa Hughes / Facebook
Liu said he will review his HR policies and procedures because he agrees with critics that Kyte Baby needs to “set an example.”
He also praised Hughes, calling her “a great woman” with “the biggest heart.”
Liu also offered Hughes his job back and said he would receive full benefits and could do it remotely as requested. He also said the new mother will continue to be paid until she decides to return.
“Your original position is always open to you when you return,” he said.
It is unclear whether Hughes will return to the Dallas-based company. The Post has contacted Kyte Baby for comment.
Earlier this week, Hughes gave an update on baby Judah’s condition. He said he was going to be transferred to a Level 4 NICU and that he had a blockage in his intestines, had an infection, and had holes in his lungs and heart.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
