I was recently faced with a troubling situation when my husband was terminated from his job while he was on FMLA leave. He had been working as a web developer for a company that was undergoing layoffs, and instead of officially laying him off, the HR department decided to terminate him over the Christmas holiday, trying to disguise it as a 'job abandonment.' They claimed he had quit, but we have all the emails proving otherwise. This decision seemed to stem from the CFO's misguided attempt to cut costs by manufacturing a termination rather than handling it transparently. Meanwhile, we learned that several other developers were laid off around the same time. The most frustrating part is that my husband was on FMLA leave to care for me during my cancer treatment and recovery, with approved leave extending through February 2026. Now, we're in a battle with Washington state unemployment to correct the classification of his separation, as the employer insists he quit. This experience has shown us just how ruthless some companies can be, willing to jeopardize the well-being of their employees even after years of service. And yes, we are considering legal action.