Back story:
Worked for four years at a day program for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia. My job was to care for the clients, engage with them, plan activities. Think camp, but for the elderly. If you’ve never worked with the population, employees regularly deal with clients who hallucinate, wander, have mood problems etc.
November 3rd, I tested positive for covid as a result of an outbreak at work stemming from a Halloween party. A dozen people were sick with it.
Then I had an immediate death in the family during my two weeks off I had to take to recover from covid (I have all my boosters, got the bivalent one a week before I was positive). This death really got to me and so I decided I needed a change and couldn’t mentally deal with death and dying anymore. I found a new job, took the offer, told my current job giving two weeks notice and said I still want to stay on as a volunteer. I was asked to stay on as a Saturday employee but I cannot as my health care is subsidized and too much money means I am responsible for all Medicare costs. I require specialist visits every 3 months, surgery every 3 years, and so on. Losing insurance would be a very bad thing for me.
The second day I returned to work (yesterday..I work three days a week so Saturday was my first day back, Tuesday was my second), the receptionist was going around confirming people for the staff holiday party, which I rsvpd to and had made arrangements for over a month ago. She was in the room with me, clients and co workers. I said “oh, I’ll be at the party” and she snapped back “no you’re not, you can’t come. You’re not allowed
!”
All my coworkers heard and saw this, it’s also on camera.
I lost it. I cried the rest of my shift because I was so humiliated. I’m not leaving my job because I hate it, I am leaving because I mentally cannot deal with it after losing someone had significant brain damage, much like my clients. I didn’t want to leave my job, I really didn’t. I loved it so much even though I know my clients will always get worse and end up with 24/7 care and not remember who I was.
I talked to my coworker, a social worker. She explained there is a policy (which is not in writing) because of past incidents where volunteers and interns are not allowed at holiday parties. I said I understood, there is a policy. But why did it have to be said like that and in front of everyone?
So screw them, and I won’t be volunteering after all. I used to even come on days off to work when short staffed.
Oh and the party is in a public place.
ETA: I was also the subject of an article written in a national newspaper and gave the center free publicity.