An Old Job

[singedsun]

questionoftheday asks: What’s the most epic way you’ve seen someone quit their job? Do you have an epic “I quit!” story?

I haven't quit many jobs. But I have been fired in some spectacularly shitty ways. This is kind of an "You're Fired! No, I quit!" kind of scenarios.

When I first was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia it was because I had some severe gland flare up in my tonsils and I had to schedule surgery to have them removed. My doctor took one look at them and was surprised that the size of them wasn't impacting my eating or breathing, they were that bad. I was working retail at the time and had to go out of my way to make sure that my time off for the surgery was approved. The doctor told me to make sure I had the full two weeks for recovery since I was over 20. So I did, having my office manager sign off on the two week request.

Thinking I was in the clear, I scheduled surgery and arranged to stay with a friend for my recovery. A week and a half into my recovery the office manager called to tell me they needed to let me go. She assured me of course that if I wanted to come back after my surgery was over I was welcome. But she also told me if I came back it would be without the insurance or raise I'd earned in the previous months I'd worked there. (I'd been there about six months at the time, but had gotten a raise and benefits after 90.)

I told her in no uncertain terms that I wouldn't be coming back.

I did call the store manager, the regional manager and the corporate HR folks all to make sure they knew what had happened. The store manager said he'd try and get me back on with all my stuff still in place, but by the end of the second week he said it wouldn't happen after all. According to the corporate office my two weeks of time off wasn't allowed. Apparently the office manager had never cleared it with corporate like she'd said and so I was out of a job.

I really struggled for awhile after that. I couldn't find anything new and the company fought against me to claim unemployment. Though eventually when it came time to attend the hearing, they never showed up. So I got my unemployment with back pay and a payout for the two weeks of sick time they were trying to avoid paying me in the first place. I was an expensive loss.

To this day I still get weird about having to call out sick or schedule long vacations. My boss now is great and has repeatedly told me to stop apologizing and to stop worrying when I need time off. She doesn't have to be reassuring, but I love that she is.

Comments

[meridian_rose]

What a terrible story! I'm glad you pursued legal action and got some recompense. It's not surprising you're now worried about taking time off. I hope you can eventually put it behind you, but that is one awful experience to have gone through!

[peachpai]

Wow, that is some serious bullshit. I'm glad you won your unemployment in the end!

[dhampyresa]

Man, fuck them.

[queenhera]

That's awful. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. :( But really glad to hear you're now in a better situation with a supportive boss.

Surely there's a law (human rights?!) that employees be allowed to receive treatment when ill, without losing their job? Or am I just ignorant about how things work in America?

[singedsun]

Depends on the situation. I spoke to a few lawyers but I was told a few times that it wouldn't be worth going after them in the long run because the unemployment hearing would get me what I was actually owed when I got fired. (Which it did, even though the company tried to deny me.)

I also live in what we call a "right to work" state which basically gives employers free range to let you go without reason. So unless you can prove actual discrimination of some kind, you're probably out of luck.

[queenhera]

That really sucks. I'm glad you got the money, but I can see how that whole situation would be stressful.

[ssterchaos]

Ugh, corporate bullshit. I'm glad you were compensated fairly, even though it was a huge hassle.

I have work anxiety, too, from having experienced shitty bosses in the past. It sucks and I can sympathize.