I'm in a wheelchair, but despite this I don't have much flexibility in my income because I have no safety net. My full-time job doesn't pay much, but does pay just a tad above the SGA (Substantial Gainful Activity) line, which is the max you can make in order to get disability benefits, meaning that I can't be approved for disability because apparently my poverty is too rich to get government/state help. So after months of applying for jobs and rising debt, I finally got a job at a retailer for a part-time warehouse position to supplement my income, so I can actually save money and have breathing room.
I started on Sunday and everything was fine until Tuesday, when my General Manager stopped by. He demanded I get steel toed boots, his reasoning was since I'm working in a warehouse (minimal moving of items, mostly scanning, organizing, paperwork stuff, not typical warehouse work) most of my shift, I HAVE to buy steel toed boots to wear, and he put emphasis on “boots” too.
I of course was not entirely sure he was serious, after-all it's not like my feet were on the ground or anything given I'm in a damn wheelchair. So I came to work today clocking in and going about my workday as usual, that is until my GM saw me, he raised his voice about how serious he was when he told me to get steel toed boots last time, and forced me to clock-out and go home or face termination, which I can't afford to go through.
I also can't afford Steel Toed Boots. I'm not in an area with a lot of shops, a consequence of trying to find the cheapest place I can rent that's handicap accessible, only the Target express, not a full-service store, even sells steel toed boots. A pair of Hermans there cost $62.
Now I may lose my job because I can't randomly buy steel toed boots which I CAN'T EVEN USE BECAUSE MY FEET DON'T TOUCH THE GROUND?
I've already got my final warning, so I seem to be in a pointless dilemma. I mean, unless there's some law that mandates steel toed boots in a warehouse, even if your feet don't touch the ground, my employment is on the line for some wacky shit imo.
I work hard, can't get disability (and many other alternatives I've tried applying for being denied or no answer yet), now I HAVE to get a second-job to survive, and I'm about to lose it over not wearing steel toed boots in a work environment where my feet don't touch the ground.
Somehow I haven't snapped yet, so I have that at least.