Hi! I'm a chronic migraine sufferer of 8 years. They are DEBILITATING. Like within a few hours my ears are ringing, voices echoing, static-y lines blur my vision, and it's really scary. The pounding in my head as it feels like my brain is going to EXPLODE.
ANYWAY, a coworker saw how in pain I was when I was on my 10. They asked my manager if I could leave. We are over payroll and need to cut hours regardless & the coworker brought that up, too (but that's a different story).
Manager said no.
I go to lunch, and sit in my car with a shawl over my head and a/c on full blast the whole break. I go back inside with the shawl gently placed over my head, a technique I was taught by my doctors in case of migraines when you're out and about (think a make shift hijab with absolutely no religious intent! it's the best way I can describe it.)
Manager calls me to the back area of the store.
Tells me I can't wear it. I panic because it's the only thing keeping my already blurring vision and pounding head from feeling like it's going to burst.
Manager gives me a condescending look when I tell them I can't or else it'll worsen.
Manager basically makes a perfect face like :l and tells me “go home then.”
I tell them I can keep working.
They tell me I can't if I'm going to wear my makeshift migraine helping thing.
Then they proceed to tell me they don't know what's going on with me and that if I clock out they're not giving me my Sick Pay. (I live in CA, and have over 60 hours of accrued Sick Pay. I've used about 8 hours altogether this entire year)
I'm emotional and cry a lot, so the condescending tone and the threat to still not let me use something I've literally accrued over hours and hours of breaking my body for that store, so I left quite literally bawling. Which in turn made me start hyperventilating, making my migrai ne worse.
Long story, sorry.
Is that even legal? I told a few of my coworkers about the interaction and they're pretty sure that the manager isn't allowed to do that and that I should put a complaint into HR.