My mother in law is dying. I have trouble even typing that, saying it out loud. I had to take a week off of work for an emergency trip home. I am not going to get into the details of her health, but there is a small chance she will survive with a surgery that she has to be strong enough for and has to live long enough to get. It’s limbo, and it’s awful. My work allowed me to take leave, unpaid, but they keep track of unpaid hours. I’m leaving the company, and I do enjoy working for them, but, like so many others, they are prone to retaliation. If I were staying, I could be screwed. Not to mention, I have a young child, and I’ve had to take all of my PTO for a million other reasons. There is no sympathy for taking off for in laws, or your children, and yet these people are my real and true family. You have a child, and a sick family member, or loved one, and you’re just at some company’s mercy. Depending on the company… well.
My heart is breaking. I can’t afford to take off of work and when we get bad news (ie she’s back in the ICU) I have trouble focusing and not breaking down. Even a hint of attitude pushes me down the rabbit hole further. Honestly, my work environment is one of the better ones, so I can’t imagine what this is like for others. How nuts is it that our jobs aren’t protected for the loss of people we consider mothers? Or for when our children are sick or daycare closes? State organizations claim to cover this, but they deny claims. I’ve seen it firsthand and am grateful I’m changing positions so I don’t even have to try. Who gets to decide who is close enough to you that your job is protected? We don’t all have conventional families. If anyone wants to link whoever I could email to actually do something (not that it will), please do.