The Work Thread

Derp

@kk said in The Work Thread:

I was actually bummed that MSB was done, because in the real life section, this is almost a safe space to rant and I needed to rant!

Yeah. I don't need to rant or anything most the time...but when MSB was down I felt something was missing. I didn't realize how much I rely on it for news and such during the day.

big same

Macha

In training to move up a level in my job. (Yay, I think? First level training was super fast and I felt off balance). I've had some nasty sugar crashes in the last two weeks. Like, on the verge of being taken to the ER bad.

And now my sup wants to meet after my break. Anxiety is high.

silverfox

Kids constantly amazed me. After having to discipline a kid yesterday I knew I had to go repair the relationship. (Like, not back off the discipline, he still screwed up and consequences still will happen.) So when it was his time we sat and I told him to just let it out. Whatever he was mad about, anything, nothing he said in that half hour would have consequences. He laid it out, and then we got to talk about what he thought was most important. I apologized for getting heated, and he apologized for his actions.

Usually it would end there, good enough. But when I was talking to dad last night dad mentioned something offhand about a brother and things being hard. So at the end of the above talk I went, "Is your brother okay? Your dad said something, but didn't go into detail, totally cool if you don't want to say anything."

That opened the floodgates. For the next hour this kiddo laid out his whole life.

And //fuck//. Like, I'm in awe he doesn't get in MORE trouble. I'm in awe he is only two years behind in school. This kid has had to deal with more trauma in his life than ANYONE should ever have to, and he still fucking shows up?!

I'm still going to hold his feet to the fire and when he really screws up things will happen but... damn if I'm not going to let a few minor things slide.

Vixanic

@silverfox Saw these, thought of you. Hope it brings some amusement.
https://imgur.com/gallery/3JOkh0u

Macha

So, last week, with no obvious trigger or reason, I crashed HARD. Like below levels of 'could go unconscious and die', roommate was on standby with emergency stuff and ready to take me to the ER.

I managed to pull myself out of it, but at that point, exhausted.

Today, I got a written warning for attendance issues, because I left early that day, and had a couple 15 minutes here and there the first two weeks, while wrangling lesser crashes. (Change in schedule, change in work set up, anxiety... all play in).

HR tried to tell me that they just aren't sure they can make the accommodations, and that 'the ADA doesn't change our attendance requirements."

My Dr's office nurse thinks that is hilarious.

Juniper

@macha "A medical emergency doesn't change our attendance requirements" is a take that is just begging to get sued

Derp

@juniper said in The Work Thread:

@macha "A medical emergency doesn't change our attendance requirements" is a take that is just begging to get sued

To a point.

A medical emergency can be excused, but if there is a pattern of attendance issues, even minor ones, then you're looking at a problem. ADA rules generally require that the employee be able to perform the essential functions of a position with or without accommodations. Attendance is generally viewed as one of those essential functions -- if you aren't at your job, you can't perform any of the functions for your job, unless you've been authorized to do remote work or have a flexible schedule.

If the employer determines that a set schedule for the position is an essential function of the job, then you don't really have too much choice in the matter.

This one might have come about because of a sugar crash, but if it becomes a pattern (as was suggested in the original post re: 15 minutes here and there or so), then the employer has solid grounds for disciplinary measures, and courts will almost assuredly side with them in the matter.

So. You know. Be cautious here. There's only so much the employer has to bend.

Ganymede

@derp said in The Work Thread:

If the employer determines that a set schedule for the position is an essential function of the job, then you don't really have too much choice in the matter.

The employer will bear this burden, which will be difficult to prove in situations where the employee demonstrably met all objective performance benchmarks in spite of their attendance record.

That said, if your employer won't give you a day off because you were in the hospital being treated for hemorrhaging, yes, there's going to be a helluvalawsuit.

Derp

@ganymede said in The Work Thread:

The employer will bear this burden, which will be difficult to prove in situations where the employee demonstrably met all objective performance benchmarks in spite of their attendance record.

I mean. Maybe. But in my experience they simply find a way to argue that timeliness is the benchmark, which in service industry jobs is a pretty low hurdle.

Hopefully I'm wrong. But I'd still play it safe.

Macha

Well, when they had me all over, schedule wise, yes, I crashed a few times. I got them to set a schedule, so I have fairly set breaks/lunch.

And yes, last week when I crashed so bad, I had been in training that morning and not able to keep my regular, fixed schedule. It wasn't off by much, but such is life.

I've adjusted my insulin 3 times in the last month, and since last Wednesday, nothing out of the ordinary.

Macha

So the HR wants a more 'specific' list of accommodations. How long will it take to recover from a sugar crash, etc.

I passed it on to the doctor's office. ...I got a call this morning from her nurse.
"They want what, now?" "They want to know things like exactly how long it should take to recover from a crash." "...there is no way to know that. that's ridiculous. Every crash can be different."

She wants HR's number. I wish I could listen in on that one.

bear_necessities

@macha said in The Work Thread:

She wants HR's number. I wish I could listen in on that one.

Uhm, if they are discussing you and your personal health information, you SHOULD be on the call to listen in. I don't know why you wouldn't be on that call and you should never allow anyone to speak for you to your job without you present.

Derp

@bear_necessities said in The Work Thread:

@macha said in The Work Thread:

She wants HR's number. I wish I could listen in on that one.

Uhm, if they are discussing you and your personal health information, you SHOULD be on the call to listen in. I don't know why you wouldn't be on that call and you should never allow anyone to speak for you to your job without you present.

this

Macha

I work in medical billing. HIPAA is super important. I got a call, got the pt name and date of birth, made the guy spell it. "How can I help you today, Mister X?"

..it was someone from his provider's office being a jerkwad, and didn't correct me when I called him by the pt name.

I explained, since he claimed to be from a dr office but hadn't really followed expected HIPAA guidelines, I wasn't terribly comfortable going into details on the case. And suddenly I'm rude, lol

Arkandel

@macha You are also not legally liable for disclosing personal information to a third party without authorization.

I'd take being rude over that.

Macha

@arkandel technically, because he's from the guy's provider's office, I'm golden. Or so I am told.

Macha

So, Random aside - when one of the Sups assigned to help your team as you move up another level... looks waaaaay too much like your ex.

Yeah. He's a super nice guy, but I get so weirded out.

Derp

@macha said in The Work Thread:

So, Random aside - when one of the Sups assigned to help your team as you move up another level... looks waaaaay too much like your ex.

Yeah. He's a super nice guy, but I get so weirded out.

My exes tend to be reasonably hot, so -- I'd make a mistake again. Almost assuredly.

Macha

@derp Hot? Yes. But I'd hate to think there's another trashfire that toxic that would come into my life.

kk

I am planning to go back to work tomorrow. I will be starting off strong with a four day stretch back on the covid unit.

I am still not 100 percent, but I am hoping that I am well enough and I ma hoping that by Sunday, I am well and truly on the upswing.

Omicron was a really different illness for me than the first wave covid. I didn't get as dramatically crashing and ending up in the hospital sick, but had/have this lingering set of odd and annoying problems that are still not resolved. (headaches, low grad fevers, exhaustion, joint pain, but also really dramatic brain fog).

I hope the fevers are done, because if they are not I might have to take more time and that would be really letting my work down.

And I am a bit worried about the brain fog, my dyslexia has like backtracked and is worse than it was and well I have to be sure my thinking is clear enough to go safely back.

So I am hopefully going back Sunday, we will see.