I've had so many jobs in my time that were physically terrible. If I wrote out the experiences I've had in my nearly 40 years of employment, most ppl would be shocked and horrified. It's pretty gross if I think about it.
I've been working at this job I have now for nearly six months. Passed my probation period with flying colors. Secured health benefits for the first time in years. The pay is better than I'm used to. The shift work & hours (63 hours in a week, 7 days on, 7 days off, 7 nights on, 7 days off) are not easy, but they're tolerable.
I'm being faced with a super shitty decision at this point, though that is rough to deal with.
The workload tripled 4 months in. But there was no increase in staff, no implementation of anything that would make the job easier. Partway through the first shift in the 4th month, my body started to break down. After the second shift ended in that 4th month, I went to the hospital after work. I couldn't make a fist with my hands. I couldn't grip the steering wheel to drive home from work; I drove with my palms. The first three days after every shift ends, I'm totally laid up, recovering, and unable to do much of anything. I was doing all the things you're told to do to take care of repetitive strain injuries, with little impact. I was told at the hospital that I had severe tendonitis in the fingers of one hand and tendonitis developing in the fingers of the other hand. The doctor wanted to put me off work for 6 weeks, but repetitive strain injuries are no longer eligible for workers' disability medical leave where I live, so I'd be fucked if I was off work that long without an income.
I really took it as easy as much I could on those days off, but being a single parent of two kids, it's hard. I modified my work tools & tried out some ergonomics on my next shift. It helped for a bit, but then my thumb and index fingers started to freak out, too. I would go off on my own at work to stretch my hands, crying because it hurt so bad. When I woke up while on days on, my fingers were so swollen that it would feel like the skin on my hands was going to split. The first couple days after my shift had ended, it was the same shit. Ice. Constantly. Massaging. Magnesium oil. Essential oils. More ice. Compression. Elevation.
I'd kept my boss in the loop on what was happening for me, too. But, the company we are contracted out to was refusing to budge on adding more staff or even implementing new tools/equipment to relieve us. My boss had been asking for those things before I was even hired and they were constantly getting refused.
So I kept pushing through.
This last shift, however, I took it past the breaking point. I was having to straighten and bend my fingers just to get them to function minimally and do my job while on shift. The bones in my joints felt like they were clicking over each other. The amount of over-the-counter pain relievers that I was taking just to make it through a single shift was terrible.
I finally emailed my boss and leveled with them about just how bad the worksite had gotten. I think they knew already, but I found out after I'd emailed them and went to work that evening that I have multiple coworkers who are in a similar state. I am not the only one sustaining repetitive injuries due to the nature of the job + the workload tripling + no additional support.
I made it through two more nights at work, and then my hands gave out. Shortly after I woke up on the last morning of my 7 day night shift, I went to remove the foil seal on the coffee creamer, and the pain was so bad I burst into tears. I couldn't do it. I had to get one of my kids to do it for me. I couldn't grip my cell phone to call my boss. I had to cradle it to my ear with both hands. Couldn't pick up my coffee cup with one hand; I had to use both just to get the mug to my mouth. Writing was out. Couldn't squeeze out a cloth to wipe the countertops down in my own damn kitchen without some teeth clenching tears… Let's not even talk about trying to get dressed, brush my hair, brush my teeth, go to the bathroom.
Everything was off the table.
I went back to the hospital that morning. It had progressed into severe tendonitis in the fingers of both of my hands with carpal tunnel beginning to creep in. I was prescribed 10% Voltaren. Carpal tunnel splints. Advil. Compression gloves. And instructions to return in 6 days.
I relayed all of this to my boss. At that point, I was told that I could go on unemployment for medical leave to fully recover if that is what I felt I needed. It's not quite the same as workers' conpensation medical leave. But, one is allowed this for up to 16 weeks; I'm near certain that I won't need that long to fully heal and recover. But I'd lose my benefits, and unemployment medical leave is only 55% of my wages per month. I was told I could return to my position after medical leave if that was what I wished.
I was also told in the same conversation that after my boss talked to the employer, relaying that our contracting company has multiple workers who are now injured due to the nature of the job, lack of support etc. our contract was amended to approve for one more hour added onto the dayshift, two more staff, and the possibility of automating one really significant portion of the workload.
All of this pisses me off. I don't want a permanent injury. I also don't want to lose my full wage or my benefits. And if two new people were just hired and start their first shift tomorrow like I was told, won't they be overstaffed when I return then and actually not want to or maybe even be able to hire me back?
It was ironic…
When I was at the hospital getting my hands looked over this last time, the nurse asked me what had happened. I told her about the whole thing, and she just shook her head. She reminded me that an employer doesn't give a fuck about workers. They just want the job done and will replace me just as soon as they can.
Her final word before she walked out of the room was,”It's 2022. Have they not heard of automation & robotics? Humans need to destroy their body for a job that can easily be done by a machine??? I don't get it.”
So yeah. I'm in a tough spot. From what I've read, surgery for tendonitis is brutal, and recovery time to full return of range of motion can be up to 6 months. Sometimes, ROM doesn't even return fully.
And these are my freaking hands.
MY HANDS! 🙁
Tl;dr: My hands are screwed from my new job. I can try to keep at it even though my hands keep giving out and risk permanently injuring myself… OR go on medical leave till I recover AND lose my kick ass health benefits and live on 45% less of my full time wage while on medical leave. I hate all of this shit.
This turned into a rant. Sorry about that. I've hurt myself for a job, on a job, so many damn times. The work world is fucked.