[TX] My manager is making me uncomfortable about my medical/health situation
Hey guys. I’m gonna try to keep this easy. I just wanted to know if it’s something I should bother going to HR at my company about.
I work for a well-known public company and back over the summer I had to go on FMLA for a series of medical issues that arose in my life seemingly out of nowhere. I was gone from work from the beginning of September until the beginning of November. Since returning, I have applied for short term disability and reasonable accommodation.
I was thankfully approved to work a reduced schedule for a period of time since returning to work but I reapplied for it again once the accommodation ended and my manager did everything in her power to make sure I was denied the second time around- which I was.
Since I’ve returned to work my immediate boss has made me feel very awkward in various ways. In one of our first meetings since my return to work from leave, she told me that I can’t show that I’m in pain at work even if I am. She says my energy makes me unapproachable even if the cause of my energy is my pain caused by my chronic conditions. I left that meeting crying and was upset for the rest of the day.
Because my condition is now chronic, I continue to go to hospital and doctors visits throughout the week. I try my hardest to take these appointments on my hour lunch break but sometimes it isn’t possible. -I have a doctor’s note and work excuse for every appointment or procedure I go to during the work week and send them to my HR point of contact every time- In another meeting we had she asked if I can start making my appointments specifically on Friday afternoons (???) when we are least busy. Anybody who is overly involved with health problems knows you get virtually no say in when your appointments are scheduled.
Last week I had a minor procedure in the morning and my manager made me feel as if I was expected to return to work afterwards so I had to go under the procedure without anesthesia. That entire day of work after I returned neither her or my other colleague were very mindful of what I just had done and kept asking me to do various things that required excessive movement when I needed to be resting as much as possible.
Today specifically, I have missed the morning of work to go to the emergency room for my pain and she has been texting me nonstop asking when I’m returning to the office. My other coworkers also called out and she felt the need to inform me that she had to recruit another employee at a different one of our locations to come help. While I’m at the ER she’s telling me all this. I highly doubt she’s filling in my other coworkers this when they’ve called out.
My coworkers are not much better. They’re always making comments about how many doctors appointments I have and how much work I miss because of them. Asking me things like “why aren’t they finding anything wrong?” When there is no cure for my problem. Or getting openly frustrated that they have to stand up (they are able bodied) when I am not permitted to because of disability.
It’s just getting really old. Between my managers comments and my coworkers I feel like somebody needs to have some sort of discussion with them outlining what is and is not appropriate to say to somebody in my position?