Context: I’m diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and PTSD. In March I found out I was pregnant. I had really bad sickness (hesitant to call it “morning” sickness when I was sick and throwing up from sun up to sun down for 4 months). Didn’t have a full year of tenure with the company so I didn’t qualify for FMLA. I tried to pursue Short Term Disability, but my OB/GYN wouldn’t sign the papers because, though I was very sick, I didn’t have to be hospitalized and monitored. I understood that, I wasn’t upset, it made sense. I let my job know I can return to work (though I am still very sick, at this point it’s been about a month and I’m managing better).
First day back to work, I have a breakdown. A full blown episode. I couldn’t function, I couldn’t work. I called my manager in an absolute hysteria. He advised me to sign out and he would deal with HR. So now I’m trying to get short term disability for my mental state. My reasons being that once I became pregnant, a couple of medications I was on were removed from my regimen because they aren’t safe for the baby. My mental health was rapidly declining and I was entering relapse.
I ended up enrolling in a Partial Hospitalization Program. The whole time I was sending documentation to the Short Term Disability team trying to get them to approve it. I believe I sent docs out three times, each time getting denied.
Eventually, my job said that because I’ve essentially been taking unpin leave, they cannot hold my position forever. They gave me a deadline and said if I can’t get an approval. By then, I will be terminated for job abandonment.
And that’s what happened.
It just hasn’t sat right with me. As far as I know they were within their right to sack me, but it just felt a bit malicious. I just want an outside perspective on that.