Veteran loses job after missing work to witness son's birth

There are certain excuses that can seemingly get you out of anything -- the death of a loved one, a family member's wedding, and, of course, the birth of your own child.

Unfortunately, it seems we may need to scratch that last one off the list after a 3-year Army veteran from Concord, New Hampshire, was fired for skipping work to witness his son, Cainan, being born.

Lamar Austin used to work for Salerno Protective Services as a part-time security guard, according to The Concord Monitor.

He was reportedly on a 90-day new hire probationary period, and was on call for the job 24/7.

Having missed one shift he was asked to cover on December 28 to accompany his wife, Lindsay, to a doctor's appointment, Austin was apparently already on thin ice at work when his spouse actually went into labor.

He then missed shifts on December 30 and 31 while his wife was in labor, even after his boss explicitly warned against him doing so.

"I didn't want to make it seem like I'm trying to miss work or something," Austin told The Concord Monitor. "The second day I told my boss, 'My wife is still in labor,' and he just said, 'You're forcing my hand, if you aren't in work by 8 tomorrow we are going to terminate you.'"

On New Year's Day at 1 a.m., just hours before his son came into the world, Austin received a text from his boss telling him he had been let go.

Unfortunately, since New Hampshire is an "at-will employment" state where employers may generally terminate workers at any time and for any reason, Austin has very little legal power in his predicament.

Luckily, since his story has starting gaining attention, Austin has reportedly received an outpouring of support from his community, including a fundraising page dedicated to helping his family and at least three job offers.

Austin told The Concord Monitor that both he and his wife are beyond grateful for all the kindness they've been shown.