I just wanted to share this because worker solidarity feels good!
I took a medical leave of absence from my job for two months and when I got back today, I learned that my coworker was barely supported by our supervisor and ended up taking on a lot more of my responsibilities than she should have been made to. We work in a very stressful field and she's only been working in it for less than a year, so I really do not feel okay with how our agency treated her in my absence. She's in a “lower” position than me, so I contacted HR about how she deserves to be compensated for having taken on all this extra work without the support we were told she would have.
It's not a definite yes, but HR said they would “try their best to figure something out.” I really hope they do. Either way, I feel really good about supporting my coworker and speaking up on her behalf. We're in this together!!