Out for 8 weeks of chemo, then told I can never have another special project at work

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree they probably think they are helping you. I would be alarmed that someone who is doing chemo was working while technically haven take time off. You need to talk to them and tell them you really thrive on these projects. Make sure you actual duties are not suffering.

Yeah. I think you have to be careful about working while on disability or just not work for legal reasons.

[Anonymous]

What type of cancer do you have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the chance you health issues will require another extended absence?

Does it matter?

Yes. They are not firing you. They are just not assigning you to special short tasks because you may need long periods off (if I understand correctly).

Okay, but I don’t need periods off, and no, they are assigning me to grunt work. Editing the book I was initially told I could help author.

Ok so you will not need additional chemo/surgery/radiation etc. That is what I asked. I just doubt an office is legally required to assign you specific work when your ability to be at the office is uncertain. I am not a lawyer though. And it sounds like your office knows that you fully expect to be back full time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the chance you health issues will require another extended absence?

Does it matter?

Yes. They are not firing you. They are just not assigning you to special short tasks because you may need long periods off (if I understand correctly).

That sounds like discrimination.

[Anonymous]

Yes, this is discrimination (due to your medical conditions). See your EEO rep.

[Anonymous]

I hope you are gaining strength and disease-free.

[Anonymous]

Make it clear to your boss that you are capable and willing of taking higher role in this project. Make it clear that your coworker does not know anything about your health and capacity, and your expectation is that you expect your supervisor to speak directly to you about these issues.

[Anonymous]

OP here with an update.

My boss said I can work on the project but only outside of work because it isn’t in my job description.

The team lead is still excluding me.

Before I had to take leave, I was allowed to work on the project during work time. I received accolades from my previous boss and my coworkers for the quality and creativity of my work.

Not anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here with an update.

My boss said I can work on the project but only outside of work because it isn’t in my job description.

The team lead is still excluding me.

Before I had to take leave, I was allowed to work on the project during work time. I received accolades from my previous boss and my coworkers for the quality and creativity of my work.

Not anymore.

I was hoping that you would be able to work it our with your boss, but that sounds like lawyer territory. I would try to press and see if he'll admit this is due to your illness, but I guess consult the lawyer before that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here with an update.

My boss said I can work on the project but only outside of work because it isn’t in my job description.

The team lead is still excluding me.

Before I had to take leave, I was allowed to work on the project during work time. I received accolades from my previous boss and my coworkers for the quality and creativity of my work.

Not anymore.

So this is a new boss?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here with an update.

My boss said I can work on the project but only outside of work because it isn’t in my job description.

The team lead is still excluding me.

Before I had to take leave, I was allowed to work on the project during work time. I received accolades from my previous boss and my coworkers for the quality and creativity of my work.

Not anymore.

So this is a new boss?

He’s been here just over a year.

[Anonymous]

VP of HR here (but not YOUR VP of HR, so I am giving you advice as a friend who has experience in the biz).

It sounds like it possibly could be retaliation or discrimination, but “possibly could” cases are difficult (expensive) to prove, and unlikely to result in a settlement that will replace your income (including potential growth) for the rest of your working years. You’re not going to get millions because your boss said someone else is now doing the “fun” part of your job. And you’re not getting a settlement that forced your boss to let you do the “fun” things anymore. You will likely be legally forced out of the company.

It is definitely certainly a really crappy thing to do to an employee/coworker.

Do your skills/experience easily transfer to a different job? What is the job market like in your sector?

A very similar thing happened to a friend of mine. The snake coworker ended up getting promoted over my friend and given my friend’s former duties. It was devastating for my friend. After a lot of soul searching, she decided it was better to just leave the organization and find employment elsewhere.

That’s what I would recommend you do: start looking, networking, asking for other tasks that build your experience (if you can). And when the right opportunity comes, pounce on it, turn in exactly two weeks, and never look back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the chance you health issues will require another extended absence?

Does it matter?

Of course.

[Anonymous]

Unless you are under contract to do projects outside your job description they can stopped being assigned at anytime. It sounds like you are basing this off of office gossip. Do you have in writing you were going to help author a book?

You just don't have a case. Sorry. Get a new job.

[Anonymous]

I am a cancer survivor, too. There seems to be a saying in our "club" that "you don't get to keep your cancer job". It means that people's impression of you is often forever changed by having had cancer and you are seen as more frail and less capable. It sucks, but this happened to me and I've seen it over and over with others.

I didn't take disability leave during treatment but I took Wednesday afternoons off every other week for chemo and then left at 3:30 for the 6 weeks of daily radiation that followed.

Affirm to your manager that you are excited to be back and understand that they may be concerned about your health, but that your doctor says you are good to go. Then give them some time to see you working as capably as you did before and maybe the projects come back to you. If not....leave.