Sick leave for mental vs physical illness

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My coworker didn’t take just one day off for her colonoscopy. She took off 3.5 days and left me a ton of work for me to do.

My boss knew I was in the hospital and then a partial hospitalization program.

My coworker knew I was on leave and didn’t offer to help me; on the contrary, she asked me for help multiple times - while I was on leave!

It’s so unfair.

Sounds like you need a new job? You aren't meeting their expectations, and they aren't meeting yours. Clearly not a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My coworker didn’t take just one day off for her colonoscopy. She took off 3.5 days and left me a ton of work for me to do.

My boss knew I was in the hospital and then a partial hospitalization program.

My coworker knew I was on leave and didn’t offer to help me; on the contrary, she asked me for help multiple times - while I was on leave!

It’s so unfair.

Sounds like you need a new job? You aren't meeting their expectations, and they aren't meeting yours. Clearly not a good fit.

I’ve been there 6 years and have always gotten the highest performance ratings.

Of course, I do have a new boss. He just started 2.5 months ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My coworker didn’t take just one day off for her colonoscopy. She took off 3.5 days and left me a ton of work for me to do.

My boss knew I was in the hospital and then a partial hospitalization program.

My coworker knew I was on leave and didn’t offer to help me; on the contrary, she asked me for help multiple times - while I was on leave!

It’s so unfair.

Sounds like you need a new job? You aren't meeting their expectations, and they aren't meeting yours. Clearly not a good fit.

I’ve been there 6 years and have always gotten the highest performance ratings.

Of course, I do have a new boss. He just started 2.5 months ago.

Having been somewhere 6 years and gotten good performance ratings means almost nothing when things change. Especially given the new boss, think about making a change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can use sick leave for physical or mental health. The issue is that you want to work different hours than your scheduled hours. Your manager does not have to approve that. If you have more sick leave you can continue to use that or you can take up to 12 weeks unpaid with FMLA.

If you need to work part time you will need to work with HR to see if that is a possibility, but your manager has the right to ask you to work your scheduled hours.

FMLA requires employers to allow you to use intermittent work (ie PT). And treating physical and mental illness differently is an ADA violation. You need to talk to HR. Your boss is just wrong. And you need to get appropriate mental health treatment.

You also may need to have a physician document you have an illness/ partial hospitalization that requires missing work. But, you don’t owe your boss or anyone else the personal details.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have to apply for FMLA to make it job protected. FMLA can be taken intermittently. Apply ASAP.

But FMLA is unpaid leave, which is different than what OP is saying. Plus, PHP is often all day daily during the first 6 weeks. Then, all day 2-3x a week. That 12 weeks of leave will go fast that way.

It seems like if a person cannot work from say 9-5 as they are in intensive therapy. But they could work say 5:30 to 8:30 (3 hours) and 5:30 PM to 10:30 (5 hours). They would still be working 40 hours a week and be able to stay current on duties, but earn an income. Both would be important stabilizing things for a disabling mental health condition and the employer benefits from extended flexibility by not having to hire a temp or pile tasks on other workers.

Right. What Op wants to ask for in this case is an ADA accommodation. Namely, a flex band or alternative work schedule and/or part time to seek treatment. She should get it if an AWS is “reasonable”. And it’s a reasonable accommodation if other people in her position are doing ot. And, especially if it is sometimes a job requirement and she can do all her job deities on an AWS.

Sounds like a new boss who needs better training. He’s going to get the company sued.

[Anonymous]

OP I am going to assume you are in VA and want to keep your job. If that is the case you need to file for FMLA or ADA accommodations right now. Without being under a contract you can be fired at any time.

But is this really the job/boss/stress you need right now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I am going to assume you are in VA and want to keep your job. If that is the case you need to file for FMLA or ADA accommodations right now. Without being under a contract you can be fired at any time.

But is this really the job/boss/stress you need right now?

Thank you! I have a group of 3-4 wonderful coworkers who I love seeing regularly. I can’t imagine switching jobs now.

[Anonymous]

Reach out to HR and document asap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reach out to HR and document asap.

What should I document?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also look into an ADA accommodation. Given that alternative hours are permitted and even requested, that accommodation sounds reasonable.

Yes, depending on where you work, you may have decent luck with this route. At my federal agency, irregular hours would definitely be approved.