A reminder to all the people that HR is not your friend. They are not there to protect you but to mitigate risk for the company that employs them.
I work for an international law firm. Our department’s litigation support has half the staff we had when I started. As paralegals we earn less than a half of a half of what the lawyers earn but we’re doing the majority of the complex work. Recently I disclosed a learning disability I would not have disclosed previously because I was able to keep up with the work when there was a full complement of staff. Now, because we are overworked and under-resourced, I am an anxious stress unit whose performance is suffering. Their solution – a) no accommodations in the interim, and then accommodations but only after a third party has independently evaluated what accommodations I need which will take time and put me in a vulnerable situation; or b) instead of recognizing my contributions and finding accommodations forget accommodations and negotiate an exit package? WTAF! NO!! I want accommodations.
Question: Do I use the opportunity to lawyer up and get the accommodations I need and/or negotiate a different position in the firm, or take their money and walk away?