So my place of work has a policy that we got one week of paid time off for spring break. BUT we have to work the entire week before spring break and the entire week after spring break. I ended up leaving early the Wednesday after spring break and calling off Thursday and Friday due to having a panic attack at work and extreme anxiety. I had a doctors note for the time I was out and have proof of a med change for my anxiety. My work contacted me today (I was on unpaid leave this week to get my meds under control) and made sure I was coming back Monday and to tell me Im not getting paid for spring break. Here is the email I am thinking of sending, can y’all just tell me if this is appropriate. And yes Im looking for a different job.
Hello,
I am writing this email to address a concern I have with the attendance policy. Earlier last year I had a meeting with leadership to discuss a change to the attendance policy. My concern was the accrual of points even when a doctor's note was provided for call offs, leaving early, or being sent home for sickness. I have two small children and this can be difficult to maintain a lower point balance when I have to maintain my own health and theirs. I have had to write one letter to advocate for the removal of some of my points when my son was dealing with digestive problems. Sadly, I know I am not the only one that has struggled with points due to having children to take care of at home. At times I feel that the current attendance policy is designed to punish those with families.
Most recently I have had to take time off due to a mental health crisis. I had an anxiety attack at work and was unable to function properly. Unfortunately I called out the week after spring break. A doctors note was provided for my time out and I requested leave once I knew I would need it. Because I called out I was denied my paid time off for spring break. I fully understand that this is the policy according to the handbook. Because of this policy my check was $840 short of what I expected. Not only will this have a huge financial impact on my family, this policy has also made me feel invalidated and unappreciated at (employer name). When I discussed the spring break pay on Friday with a leadership member I was told only emergencies are considered for approval of spring break pay when the employee has been absent during the week before or after spring break. I was told these include either being admitted to the hospital or having a death in the family or something of that magnitude. This communicates to me that my mental health crisis wasn't a good enough reason to miss work. This policy tells me that my work comes before my own mental/physical health. In a company that advertises work/life balance and compassionate Christian care, it surprises me that I have to decide between taking care of myself and keeping my job so often.
I hope that what I have communicated in this email is received as an attempt to not only advocate for myself but for my coworkers as well. I do not expect for this email to magically change a policy but I do hope it will influence policy decisions in the future. Thank you for taking the time to read this email in its entirety. I would be happy to discuss this further if that is something leadership is interested in.
Sincerely,
Redditor