So my story. I got fired from a job because I had to have surgery.
I got a job in March 2022 as a dietary aide/night time baker so 11pm until 7am. In the interview and orientation I informed them I would be having surgery somewhere around the end of the summer/early fall. I was awaiting my surgeon consultation, so I did not have a date until June. But the recovery time would be about 6 weeks after the surgery that I would need off. She was perfectly okay with that, night time shifts were that absolute worst to cover, there was me and ONE other lady that had the midnight kitchen shifts. If one of us for example were not to show up, and the other couldn't take their shift…management had to cover.
Remember this for later.
In June I was told my surgery would be end of September. Which would require me to be off work until first week of November. Now policy with this place of work, due to covid, and due to working very closely with elderly people, was that if you or any of your members of your house hold got covid… you were required to stay off work for 10 days after symptoms are done in order to ensure you didn't get the elderly people sick. Like a domino affect, my daughter, then me, then my husband all got covid one after the other. So basically I had to have 20-30 days off work due to illness because of covid.
I kept them updated, I gave them EVERY medical documentation they needed, etc. They were ticked because 90% of the time manager had to go in for these shifts if the other night worker could not come in. I understand that it sucked for them, but she should have been hiring more staff to begin with…and that was her problem. So essentially my doctor gave me a doctors note that said from the date i talked to her until a date in november, i would require an immediate medical leave.( No i do not need approval for medical leaves — and plus I was already given this approval back in March when I was hired prior to even knowing my surgery date.)
Anyways later in August I was told to come to an online zoom meeting ( basically to get terminated is what I assumed.) I refused to meet unless my union rep was present ( thank FRIG I was unionized!!!) They ignored my request for a union worker ( which is my right) . The appointment for zoom call came around, and I got an email stating that due to me not showing up I was terminated.( again. Against my rights as an employee).
The union rep managed to get us a meeting together asap within that week to explain that what they did can't happen.
They still went ahead with the termination. It took us 7 times to ask them what their actual reasons were: but essentially the reason was: ” due to missing 2 or more days without a legit excuse you are herby terminated” . Every ounce of my “excuse” of missing work was documented, and evidence was provided to them. They were petty and spiteful because I was a worker who it was hard to find coverage for, and chose to ignore all policies, rules, regulations, and employment laws…and terminate me anyways….while I was unionized.
So I've waited a whole entire year, but we did file for a wrongful termination lawsuit and I have a hearing on the 18th of this month, as I am sueing them for $100,000! They honestly caused some trauma in my life to not really be able to trust businesses and management. the manager also tarnished my name to half of the city making it hard for me to find employment anywhere in that field. So I started my own small business after I was able to come back from work. She also messed with my employment insurance, putting that I wasn't terminated, and quit. Which is a BIG issue. Because once my employment insurance medical benefits wore off, I was entitled to regular benefits. But because she wrote on my ROE that I quit they delayed and even denied my regular benefits and messed up my income from November all the way until February. Where I eventually recieved my benefits, however I lost my truck due to non payment as well as other many late fees on bills and things in my home.
My husband had to use his entire paychecks every single month in order to cover and help me and it still left with us getting bills cut off, and having to sell or pawn items to get by… having insurance canceled on our other vehicle… certifications / licenses expiring …etc . It has been a completely rough year and we are still recovering for what this company has done to us… so hopefully something good comes out of this law suit on the 18th! I will update when I know more.
I have a meeting with the union rep this Wednesday.