Today we had a meeting at work where they discussed the large number of call outs we have been having and how it has been affecting our staffing, workload and team.
They said that they are working on a new absentee policy where people who call in sick, especially repeatedly, will be subject to disciplinary actions such as write ups. They told us we are allotted two weeks of pto a year and that it might have to be used for sick time instead of a vacation (The pto accrues throughout the year so by December you would have two weeks worth total if you didn’t use it all year). After you use your pto you aren’t allowed to call in. They said any more call outs will be absentee-ism and will be reprimanded.
I’ve used all my pto because we have been sick so often. My baby has been getting sick at daycare and I have to call out a lot to watch her because daycare won’t take her when she’s sick and we have no one else who can care for her in our absence. Two weeks ago we had the flu and were out of work, then last Thursday and this last Monday I called in because I wasn’t feeling well and neither was our baby.
Today I went to work because I need the money and don’t want to get in trouble from my employer. I wasn’t feeling 100% yet but my boss isn’t happy I’m not doing my part and helping so they’re treating me like I’m lying about being sick. They won’t make eye contact with me and are giving me the cold shoulder.
I don’t have a working thermometer at home (I know I know, we need one. We just can’t afford one and every cheap one we have bought hasn’t worked right) so I checked my temperature at work and I was 100.8 degrees . I got put on our walk in schedule and saw a doctor at our clinic and got a note excusing me from work that I immediately gave to my employer and went home.
Is this legal? What do I do? I don’t know how I’m going to navigate this in the future without a write up. I have a lot of medical conditions that make me immuno compromised. I hope I don’t get written up for staying home to care for my baby either but in the end she comes before any job and if I’m written up for caring for my baby and being a good mom, maybe this job isn’t the right one for me.
I’m sorry for the long winded post but there’s just a lot of context to the situation. I appreciate anyone’s input or advice.