Boss declines pregnant employee's requests for accommodation a week before her due date, HR steps in and grants her leave immediately

It's often said that HR is never on your side, but is merely there to maintain an equilibrium that will prevent the organization from opening itself to vulnerability or liability. They are there to manage the "human" resources of the company, and—well, that's you.

Still, in instances where you're dealing with someone in the organization—be it a boss, coworker, or other party—who is so incredibly off base with their actions or reasoning, then it just makes sense to go to HR and help them see you through. That's how it was for this pregnant worker who, one week out from her due date, approached her boss to request what she felt to be reasonable accommodation in light of the physical hardships she was experiencing from her pregnancy. When her reasoning fell on deaf ears and her requests were rudely dismissed she consulted HR who placed her on maternity leave immediately, leaving her slack-jawed boss scrambling to plug the hole in staffing that their own obstinance had created. 

Below, see the worker's account of events, along with reactions from the readers in the original thread where her story was originally shared.