Quote:
Originally Posted by ultramar
What I finally did was apply for "Intermittent FMLA" -you fill out an application (you can get it from HR), provide supportive documentation from your providers (they fill out a form) re diagnosis, treatment plan, time off for appointments, acute episodes, etc. and it goes to HR for consideration. If you're a CNA at a hospital (I don't know if elsewhere) you will have an Occupational Health department (they're the ones who make sure you get your annual PPD, etc.) and they are the ones who make the decision. Otherwise, I guess it's HR.
What's great about this, is that no information goes to your boss except that your application has been approved (and I guess specifics like time off for appointments and related (unnamed) illness approved); your medical information remains confidential. To me this is ideal: you get official recognition of your 'partial disability', with the accommodations you need/might need, while keeping your med info private.
Again, if you work for a hospital, you should have an Employee Assistance Program --I started by talking to someone there about my concerns (my boss what giving me a lot of flak for my appointments -psych & for medical conditions- during work hours) and they helped me find the information I needed, and pointed me towards websites re disability rights in the workplace.
I just don't think it's a good idea to share diagnosis with managers -them not understanding, stigma, them seeing it as an excuse for behavior, etc. I'd try to get what you need while bypassing revealing such information to your boss. As I say, you can contact HR.
I hope, though, you find a way to work less hours, or find a job where you can. As bipolarnurse I had a managerial position in healthcare and it was a nightmare for my stability: the long hours, always on call, etc. Now I work hourly, but I'm in a position where overtime is optional. If I want, I can earn extra money covering all kinds of shifts, but I don't have to.
Best of luck.
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I work for a very small home care agency and there are several nurses that run it. We don't have an HR department because we're so tiny, about 50 employees or so. The work is easier than working in a nursing home, but I struggle a lot if I work too much. I feel like a lost cause because I can't work at a hospital or a nursing home as a cna because I will break down from too much interaction with people and too much stress. I worked in retail at 3am in the mornings stocking shelves, but even that caused me mental breakdowns. My boss let me leave when ever I wanted though because I always told her I needed to study for school; I stayed at that job for about half a year until I quit from not being able to handle myself.
I'm so stupid, I don't even understand why I exist. I wish I could let them know I need to work less hours, but they always worm my schedule with more hours than I ask for. They don't care about the health of the employees, but where else would I work? I'm so stressed that I stop eating meals and I've only been eating snacks. Everything seems to taste bad and give me the runs. I guess I don't expect an answer from anyone anymore and this is more of a pathetic rant.