I’ve been working a new job at the courthouse for 4 months and I’ve been enjoying it so far. I’ve gotten a little bored but I’m not miserable. I applied for some other positions but wasn’t overly eager to go. All that changed today man. I have chronic back pain and I’ve never had a worse flare up. Back in total spasms, OTC meds did NOTHING. Went to the bathroom and cried and decided I needed to go home. Walk back in and my boss comes at me in front of the office saying I was passive aggressively not being efficient, told me I had some sort of attitude and that I was slacking. Counter how man files I’d completed and asked why I hadn’t done more. This was completely out of left field — during my time there I have caught them up from a several weeks behind slump. The work today wasn’t urgent either. I was so caught off guard I just kept working, but the pain got even worse. I have strong meds I can take but I obviously can’t work when I take them so I asked to leave early (2 hours). Prior to this I’ve only taken one day off when I threw up at the office. My boss and supervisor started talking about how my pay would be docked and they need a doctors note and how come I can’t take the meds and then come back to work. This was in front of the whole office. In private they said how it’s so funny this is only coming up now and my job could be in jeopardy in the future. I still left because I was in so much pain but I just sobbed once I got home. I called my union rep and he told me they broke privacy rules by doing this in the open and discussing my medical condition openly. ALSO that policy is that I need a doctors note after three full days or if I’m abusing the leave policy which they cannot prove because that is not true. I have sick hours accrued to cover it and I’m allowed to use it. And then he said he’s taking this to the higher ups in the union. My boss sent me a weird “tomorrow is a new day” text and idk if I should call off this union thing off or what…..I have an interview for a job in a different department tomorrow and I’m suddenly way more excited about it. I was really willing to work through the pain but the public smack down really took all my resolve out of me. any advice? did i overreact?
TLDR: I’m a hard worker usually but a chronic pain condition slowed me down today and my bosses freaked out on me publicly and tried to guilt me into staying for two more hours