Hi all. I had a really bad day at work today. I have been at the same company for 18 years and have never had any performance issues until the last few months. I have been making really stupid mistakes that I would have never made before. Well today I received another error and was pulled into the office. Now I am on an action plan for 3 months and can’t have another error. This is really stressing me out which is not good for me. No one at my job knows about my lupus and I don’t want them to. At this point I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to lose my job but I don’t know if I can continue with it. I have had sleeping problems the past year and need meds to sleep but it only knocks me out for about 5 hours the most. I know the lack of sleep does not help with my work duties. I just feel like such a failure and also feel like management is wanting me out. It’s such a struggle everyday with work, 2 young children,cooking, baths, homework, lack of sleep, etc. I am so drained at the end of the day I just want to cry…thanks for hearing me out just needed to get it off my chest
hi, you really should let them know and fill out a FMLA form so at least your job is protected. I work g yard and have two small kids as well and I get very little sleep. But if I’ve had too much than I can take the night off and know I can’t get fired!! I know it’s stressful enough dealing with lupus and all the side effects, then throw in real life stuff!!! Uhhhhh I feel your pain!!!$
As amber mentioned you can apply for FMLA to secure your job. In the country I live we don’t have such plan. I have to work hard to get my monthly paycheck.
Pls file for FMLA and take enough sleep and rest. THINK POSITIVELY. I find it helps a lot. Just enjoy and live a luppie life.
Why do you not want to tell them about your lupus? I think it is time to talk to HR and fill out for FMLA I am out on it now and receive a check from it. It is a percent of my early pay and being off work will give you time to rest and see if you can continue to work.
Thanks for the replies. I called hr today. Did you file intermittent fmla for when u need it? Hr wanted to open a case today they said it would notify my boss. So I toldthem I wanted to tt him first. So I plan on doing that tomorrow. I am nervous and not comfortable with this. I am so private about my health issues. Besides my family only a handful of my close friends know. Honestly I dont want tto be the gossip of the office or for people to treat me differently. I know it is supposed to be confidential but I dont fully trust my boss and where I work it is not the best work ethic. And I feel bad if I miss work because then it is more work for my teammates and they will resent me. Any advice or positivity for me? I really need some support thanks
Kuma
I am very private about my health issues at work, but I agree that its time for you to talk to HR and ask for fmla. You don't have to tell them all the details, just that you have a disability and a chronic disease. Intermittent fmla would allow you to take a few days off a month as you would need it, or allow you to come in later if you've had a bad night. It also allows you to go to reoccurring doctor visits as needed, and just take a few hours as needed for it.
One thing you mentioned that I wanted to comment on: that if you miss then your teammates will resent you for the extra work. I commend you for your work ethic, but you have to put yourself first now. If you take care of your health now, you will be all the better in the future. If you are just now starting to make mistakes, and they put you on an action plan, its time for you to ask for reasonable accomodations for your disability. You have 18 years at the job, and you've earned it. The additional stress is affecting you on top of the heavy workload that you have. Do you have family that you can ask for some help? A healthy mother with young children needs help at times, so don't be afraid to ask for help. You are worth it...
I have been having similar issues over the past two years. I worked for the same agency for 16 years with not even so much as a verbal warning. In the last year, I got a verbal warning and then a four day suspension, related to "mistakes". I, too have felt that management wants me out. I confronted my supervisor about it and she said she doesn't want me out, but wants me to ask for ADA paperwork. She says she is trying to help me, but my paranoia tells me that she is making a case to dismiss me. My husband has encouraged me to talk to an employment attorney.
Hi all, so Friday I Ty my boss and let him know what was going on. He was super supportive and suggested I take some time off. So I will be calling hr tomorrow to open fmla case. I know this time will do me some good. I need a break to mentally and physically get better. I am looking forward to taking time for myself and hopefully get some sleep. Thanks all for your input and support.
Hi JDT, I think that it is easy for us to think the worst of others at times, especially when we are feeling bad. All employers have policies in place on how they deal with work issues, including how they deal with ‘mistakes.’ If you legitimately made these ‘mistakes’ but you want to keep your job, maybe it is time to switch your thinking to something more along the lines of ‘I want to keep this job so I am going to take advantage of all the help I can get.’ FMLA will help you with time off due to doctor appointments, sick days, etc. ADA will help with reasonable accommodations to enable you to perform your job functions. Have a conversation with your boss and move forward. It doesn’t sound like you need an employment attorney at this time. Good luck!
jdt said:
I have been having similar issues over the past two years. I worked for the same agency for 16 years with not even so much as a verbal warning. In the last year, I got a verbal warning and then a four day suspension, related to “mistakes”. I, too have felt that management wants me out. I confronted my supervisor about it and she said she doesn’t want me out, but wants me to ask for ADA paperwork. She says she is trying to help me, but my paranoia tells me that she is making a case to dismiss me. My husband has encouraged me to talk to an employment attorney.