I work as a cashier and I can't stand for more than absolute maximum four hours without some kind of sitting break. But if I go four hours, then the next four are absolute hell. I get tired after only one hour so four is really pushing it. I keep getting told to make an accommodation, but in order to do that, I have to go through my doctor. The doctor has to fill out paperwork and send it back to the hr agency. My doctor and the nurse are on maternity leave and the person covering them is so backed up I haven't been able to get in for over a month. My claim has expired twice. The first time I didn't understand what paperwork they wanted and the second time the doctor couldn't get me in fast enough. In the meantime, every time I go into work I have to endure immense pain. Every. Single. Time. By the time I get home I just immediately go to bed. I've had to cut down to part time and now they are telling me to cut down to four hour days. I can't afford that! All I asked for was to sit at the register. I don't think that is unreasonable. It's getting to the point where my home life is in shambles because I can't get chores done and my homework has taken a backseat to sleep. It's just really aggravating that I can't sit because of some dumb policy that doesn't even matter!!! What difference does it make to the customer if I sit? It doesn't. Nobody cares. I keep getting told that if I can't uphold the expectation that I should leave. So you would rather lose an employee who does everything else really well because I can't stand long enough?? I don't understand the logic here. It just feels really ableist. I do everything else I'm supposed to. I'm rarely late and have only called out maybe three times in the last few months I've been here. I'm good at my job, customers love me, it's so dumb that I'm getting punished for sitting. I find creative ways to sit now so I don't get in trouble. It's so demoralizing. I shouldn't have to do this. It is a basic need for me to sit down. I get in trouble for sitting on self check, but I can't sit otherwise and I've reached my limit. If you don't want me to sit on it, then give me something else to sit on!! I can't stand that long. No matter what you say about policy, that doesn't change my need to sit. Sigh. It's just really frustrating.
I also hate when people say, well the rest of us can do it! I've started responding GREAT!! I'm not the rest of you!! Just cause you can do it doesn't mean everybody can!