Taking FMLA in a rage over RTO

[Anonymous]

I’ve been in my job for 5 years.

Over the summer, I developed severe health problems (several infections and eventually sepsis) after being healthy my whole life and still being young (early 30s).

I repeatedly asked for accommodation to work from home as RTO approached and it was denied, despite all the documentation I had of the sepsis and from my doctors.

Due to my health issues and the lack of flexibility, I ended up taking FMLA at the recommendation of my doctor.

I am just feeling so incredibly angry though. I worked so hard in this job, and we worked from home for 3 years. If they would have just been flexible with me, I could have kept working from home but they wouldn’t.

I took FMLA and was unable to do any meaningful handover and my projects are a mess and my clients are texting me (since they are getting my auto-response on email and Skype).

It looks like I’ll end up getting paid through FMLA (through my existing leave reserves, donated leave, and STD), but I just keep coming back to this feeling of anger towards my work for being so inflexible and for not showing me any compassion or empathy. My coworkers are mad at me, I worry.

I’m even feeling slightly better but my doctors have said I should not go back to work (at least not in person) so I guess I can’t. I could have considered a shorter FMLA but I ended up putting in for the full 3 months.

Is anyone else in the same situation? It just seems like the company is acting in such a short sighted manner.

[Anonymous]

Can you be more specific about your illness? The people I've known who've had sepsis recovered pretty quickly once treated.

[Anonymous]

Go look for a new job. This isn’t the company for you.

[Anonymous]

It sucks but the fact is there are twenty people who would be perfectly fine doing your job full time in person.

[Anonymous]

What is your plan for after that? Are you looking for new positions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you be more specific about your illness? The people I've known who've had sepsis recovered pretty quickly once treated.

Op here. I’d prefer not to but it was obviously bad enough that my doctors were more than happy to complete the FMLA paperwork and they recommended I take the full 3 months. I was hospitalized multiple times leading up to the FMLA, but I am home now and significantly improved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is your plan for after that? Are you looking for new positions?

Op here. I’m hoping not to go back and looking, but unsure how exactly it will all work.

I am not sure if I can really handle going back

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sucks but the fact is there are twenty people who would be perfectly fine doing your job full time in person.

Op here. Nope. We’ve had 3 openings on our team of 13 that we’ve been unable to fill. We barely get applications and they’ve been sitting for months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your plan for after that? Are you looking for new positions?

Op here. I’m hoping not to go back and looking, but unsure how exactly it will all work.

I am not sure if I can really handle going back

Given your young age, if you never will be able to work in an office, you need to find a new job and get it in writing from the beginning that you will always be able to work from home. Offer to update documentation every 6 months.

[Anonymous]

Wait, you're taking it because you're "in a rage" or because you truly cannot work in office?

You sound like a complete brat and I would want you gone even if you're hard to replace, based on your post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your plan for after that? Are you looking for new positions?

Op here. I’m hoping not to go back and looking, but unsure how exactly it will all work.

I am not sure if I can really handle going back

Given your young age, if you never will be able to work in an office, you need to find a new job and get it in writing from the beginning that you will always be able to work from home. Offer to update documentation every 6 months.

Op here. Once I’m healthier I should be able to work in an office to an extent.
That being said, I believe the whole RTO thing is a dead cat bounce and the future will entail mostly remote work in roles where that is possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait, you're taking it because you're "in a rage" or because you truly cannot work in office?

You sound like a complete brat and I would want you gone even if you're hard to replace, based on your post.

Op here. Both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, you're taking it because you're "in a rage" or because you truly cannot work in office?

You sound like a complete brat and I would want you gone even if you're hard to replace, based on your post.

Op here. Both.

It can't be "both." Either you have no choice, or you're throwing a tantrum. Clearly it's the tantrum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your plan for after that? Are you looking for new positions?

Op here. I’m hoping not to go back and looking, but unsure how exactly it will all work.

I am not sure if I can really handle going back

Given your young age, if you never will be able to work in an office, you need to find a new job and get it in writing from the beginning that you will always be able to work from home. Offer to update documentation every 6 months.

Op here. Once I’m healthier I should be able to work in an office to an extent.
That being said, I believe the whole RTO thing is a dead cat bounce and the future will entail mostly remote work in roles where that is possible.

If you can find a fully remote position you should leave and take that, but many employers are returning to the office including yours and it’s not just up to you and your feelings of rage. I manage a team of 50 people, a few feel like you do and I would be happy to see them go. I can’t just make policy for all 50 based on one feeling super ragey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, you're taking it because you're "in a rage" or because you truly cannot work in office?

You sound like a complete brat and I would want you gone even if you're hard to replace, based on your post.

Op here. Both.

It can't be "both." Either you have no choice, or you're throwing a tantrum. Clearly it's the tantrum.

Op here. Not sure how they are mutually exclusive. I am angry, and also I am sick. FMLA/STD in my situation required a lot of medical documentation. As I explained earlier, I was hospitalized multiple times this summer and had sepsis in addition to other things.