If my joke about my salary is a “fireable offense,” maybe the salary itself is the real problem.

I’m Willow, and for the last two years, I’ve been a dedicated employee. Lately, my office has been hit with a massive wave of “baby fever.” One of my coworkers is expecting, and every conversation in the breakroom seems to revolve around baby showers, outfits, and parenting tips. I’m 28, and honestly, kids aren’t even on my radar right now.

At our recent holiday party, the topic came up again. A coworker turned to me and asked when I was planning on having children. I was caught off guard, but I tried to keep the mood light. I laughed and said, “I can’t afford kids with this salary!” We all had a good chuckle, and I thought that was the end of it.

I was wrong. My boss overheard me. He pulled me aside and told me that making a comment like that was a “fireable offense.” I was stunned—since when is a personal financial joke a reason to lose your job? I apologized, hoping to smooth things over, but when I walked into work on Monday, HR was waiting for me.

There was a written warning already sitting on the desk. HR claimed that by saying I couldn’t afford kids on my salary, I was “disclosing my income” to coworkers, which they say violates company policy. I didn’t give a number, I didn’t show a paycheck; I made a generalized joke about the cost of living. Now, they are “investigating” me, and I’m terrified I’m going to be fired for a single sentence at a Christmas party. It feels like they aren’t investigating the truth; they’re just looking for a reason to get rid of me for speaking up about the reality of my paycheck.