Discrimation at work!

[Laurieanne]

Hi Everyone,
I have been having a terrible time with my employer. I was diagnosed in June. Had a bilateral in july. So far I've had 2 tx of THC and have been cleared to go back to work part-time. Which I am very capable of doing. However my employer will not let me come back unless I'm full-time 100# , and will provide me no reasonable accomodations for my treatment week.
Up until my diagnosis I have had extremely good progress reports. Always got great raises and have several awards for my work with the senior population in our county.
Not knowing exactly what to do. I contacted the American Disabilities Association. They are filing charges against my employer. In the meantime I have discovered they have someone waiting for my job, and as soon as my 12 weeks FMLA are up they are going to try to get rid of me. The ADA says this won't happen it's against the law, but how do we live in the meantime? We are not rich and need at least a part-time income from me.
It really sucks that corporations think they can do this to people. I'm definitely not a wall flower and have butted heads with my manager more than once when I believed my residents were being treated unfairly, but my job is to make sure they have a high quality of life while they are with me, and thats what I do. I love my job and don't want to lose it.
If anyone has had this happen to them. I would love to know how you have handled it.

Hope everyone is feeling well,
Love and hugs,
Laurie

[hutchibk]

It's horrible that your employer is acting moronically. It will bite them in the butt.

For clarity sake, not all corporations think they can do this. Only a few stupid bosses inside those corporations think they can do this. There are many fantastic corps who are very supportive of their employees who are cancer survivors. Be sure and have a conversation with your HR department. You have already taken the most important step to protect yourself from being treated wrongly.

Maybe these links will help - and maybe you have already seen them...

http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/cancer.html

http://www.canceradvocacy.org/resources/employment.html

What can survivors do if their job is endangered?
Most employers treat cancer survivors fairly and legally. Some employers, however, erect unnecessary and sometimes illegal barriers to employment. Numerous resources help survivors determine what employment accommodations should be provided under law. One resource is the Cancer Legal Resource Center, at 1-866-843-2572 (1-866-THE-CLRC).

[BonnieR]

I hope you are documenting everything and have kept good records of your past exemplary work performance. What a shame they would try to do this to someone who obviously loves her job and does it well
Keep the faith.

[Jackie07]

I feel your pain, Laurieanne.

Every time I had a major surgery, I would lose my job. In Texas, we've been told, the only thing we can do is to file for unemployment compensation. And we have to certify that we are available for work and capable of working full-time.

I was undergoing chemotherapy while I was doing my internship teaching special education (as an inclusion teacher) at the high school in the nearby town. I needed the job so I could have insurance. But when the principal found out I was going through treatment (my husband had to pick me up one time after school when I had cellulitis and wasn't aware of the danger of it), she started to document me.

There was another veteran teacher on campus who was also undergoing cancer treatment (lymphoma). Her husband is the president of the local chamber of commerce. And she received 'teacher of the year' award for being a cancer fighter. I couldn't really say if the different treatment has anything to do with my being a 'disabled (my two brain surgeries) foreign born female minority' (my teacher training program director did not think it's humorous at all) But I knew that there's no way she would have hired me if I had told her about my cancer treatment.

The law says we have one year to return to our original job. I always needed to get a note from the doctor certifing that I could go back to work. But then I always lose my job after a year.

I am taking some math courses on-line right now and hope to become a math teacher in a year or so. Read it somewhere that the Chinese term for crisis is 'dangerous point' which leads directly to 'turning point'. And the Chinese character used here for 'point' is the same word for 'opportunity'.

Even though I've gone through the routine many, many times, it still gets me depressed. We are only human. And I think confronting the feelings is a healthy way to deal with it.

It is tough. But I always come out with better jobs. So I am confident my family will weather the storm again. (and again, and again...)

[Joe]

Laurie,

Call these people...

http://www.disabilityrightslegalcenter.org/about/cancerlegalresource.cfm/


Regards
Joe

[juanita]

Sorry that you're having to go through this on top of everything else. Hope everything gets worked out in your favor!