I work in a call center job, DirecTV specifically, and it has been stressful. Not the job itself but the situation. For the first 2 years it was fine. After that I found out I was diagnosed with Mytochondrial Myopathy which took me years to get a diagnosis to actually show something was wrong.
After my first 2 years I got FMLA and it was great. Took the days off I needed to and it was all fine. This was back in 2020. Jump to now in 2022 and for the past year and a half FMLA keeps rejecting paperwork that worked before. I have called them asking how it should be filled out to make sure I get my approved days off and not have to visit my doctor every month to update fmla on specific dates. Every single time I call them they give me a different answer on how it should be filled out so This doesnt happen. Every time I am met with a different answer which didnt happen before. I have my doctor fill out every month I get 40 hours to call out whether it be in hour increments or for full day. They decline most everything and even the stuff they approve at first, they go back and decline it a few months later. It has been a hassle to say the least.
I am so lucky my jobs attendance team is willing to work with me on trying to get everything done even though I am well pas the “you are fired because of attendance” policy because they actually care even though its union. They will find loopholes to keep you employed as long as you are trying.
I am at the spot now that my doctor can be so hard to get an appointment in because he is the only specialist in my are for what I have that I havent been able to turn paper work in on time even with extensions because of how rare what I have is that he has grown super frustrated with it as well and just asks me to throw my paperwork at his nursing staff, metaphorically, and they will forge his signature. That still doesnt even help.
Not asking for advice just want to bring attention to even though you can get FMLA or ADA, it has changed dramatically without any clear form of instructions of how to do it properly that a lot might end up jobless or homeless with my 3 kids.
Wish me luck. Not asking for pitty just wanted to point out even FMLA or ADA doesnt make it easier. In rare situations it can make it harder where it can be more worth it to suck it up and “work it out” than taking a few days off.