I wfh for a health insurance agency. I have a facial deformity/disability that causes severe pain and infections. The only treatments are several surgeries and smaller surgeries that can be done to treat the infections until the big 2 surgeries can be done at once. I was born very premature and my enamel on my teeth never developed properly so my teeth are breaking off and my only option is dental implants.
I used all of my leave in dealing with this. The policy is people who use all of their leave are either terminated or told to resign. I had been looking for jobs and fearful I would run out of leave, I tentatively gave my resignation and retracted it once my boss informed me that I could use short term disability that would cover 90 days but allow me to maintain employment with the company because according to my boss and another supervisor ” I'm a good representative and they did not want me to lose. ” I retracted my resignation and advised that I could do short term disability but it wouldn't happen immediately because it was going to take coordinating with the 2 surgeons and trying to get this covered under my medical insurance.
Fast forward to Monday – I wake before my shift in agony and am forced to call out sick as it is agonizing to speak and even open my mouth. I try desperately to get into see the surgeon for treatment but I am unavailable to until today when I had emergency surgery at 7am. On Monday, I advise my boss as to why I called out in email so there is documentation. Tuesday morning, I load up my systems and email, seeing a response from my boss that my only options are to quit or be fired immediately. To avoid the mark of being fired, I resign immediately due to health reasons. This is also in email and I have a copy.
Today, I end up at the surgeon's and have to tell him I lost my job due to medical issues. I work in healthcare. My surgeon is pissed as he wants to help me and this issue is not my fault and I should not have lost my job over this. My surgeon suggested calling a lawyer.
I ended up writing an email to my boss saying Hey I had emergency surgery today, I'm sorry you have an issue with that but you said before that I could be eligible for short term disability. Why was that not an option given to me and instead I'm told quit or get fired? I now have no job,no income, no insurance, and a medical procedure that is projected to cost at a minimum of $36,000 dollars. No response yet from my boss but he knows that I am frickin irritated per the email.
PSA- Don't work remote customer service for a major American health insurance company- they will screw you over.
Maybe this is all my fault but we also don't earn more leave until we have been there for 1 year. You get 40 hours for the first 6 months and 15 hours when you are there a year. There is no sick leave at all. You get what you get and that's it, once it's gone, you're done per company policy and the supervisors. I had no way of knowing this (my medical issues) would happen.