Posted by Dave W on May 28, 1999 at 18:24:10:
Hi Group,
I thought I'd post this because Rick's message (a few lines below) got my dander up a bit, and I wanted to make sure everybody knows that we have rights in the workplace!
I used to be administrator at a 2000+ employee hospital, and we had staff with all sorts of ills and ailments that we had to spend lots of $$$$ to accommodate. Many people think the Family Medical Leave Act is limited to time off for family members who are sick. It isn't! It's for you, too -- you are guaranteed a large number of full days (60 last time I looked) for any type of illness, with NO ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTION ALLOWED. If you're sick, you can go home, that's the law of the land. They don't have to pay you if your sick benefits are used up, but they cannot punish you in any way.
Also, the Americans with Disabilities act doesn't just mean that buildings must be accessible to the handicapped. It means that your employer MUST provide reasonable accommodation (and facilities if necessary) to allow people with chronic problems to deal with them and still be effective. I haven't seen it tested in court, but I just bet that I could force my employer to install a hot shower in the building to help me cope with my occasional breakthrough CH's that last an hour or two. I know we did stranger things than that to help out chronic sufferers of other diseases at the hospital.
There. End of tirade. You have two powerful federal laws on your side (note that I'm not a lawyer, but I have had lots of dealings with these issues). If you're being hassled, find a good attorney, preferably one with CH's!!
My personal update is that my Sansert/Prednisone mix is working OK. I'm getting a breakthrough CH only about every third day and it's not only mild but I can afford the Imitrix sprays to kill it off at that rate! I wish I had none, but this is way better than I was three weeks ago.
Pain Free Days to All,
And God Bless!!
Dave