Well, here’s the latest update. I went back yesterday. First thing, I sent an email to my boss and HR to let them know. All my boss did was respond welcome back and put a message in the department teams chat group saying I was back. None of my co-workers messaged welcome back or anything. I am definitely being iced out.

A few hours later, I got a brief email from her with some instructions about what to prioritize. It felt like her words were very carefully chosen, like HR or a labor lawyer had informed her how to act towards me. The editor, when she had to ask me something, was all fake nice; a complete 180° from the nastiness and snippiness she showed in the months before I went on leave.

My husband talked to a friend who is a labor lawyer, since labor law isn’t his specialty. His friend said he’d advise a client to behave exactly the way my boss/co-workers are doing in this situation. There’s a concept called “tutela laboral” here, which refers to things like workplace harassment, mistreatment and violations of workers’ rights. So, it sounds like they are nervous I could be trying to document anything that could be construed as “tutela laboral” for a future lawsuit.

I don’t think they will try to call me in for a one on one meeting again, like the one I never went to since I went to the ER. There’s been no mention of, “we need to have that meeting”. I am sure they think I will go back to the ER and get more leave if they try to bring me in. But, there is a team meeting on the 29th and there was a mention that individual performance will be discussed. I am sure that is when the axe will come down.

The day before I went back, I had made peace with the idea of being fired. I don’t want to go through the actual firing. However, I am so sick of this toxic workplace and the way it is affecting my health. Plus I’d have the severance. After all I did to accept that, I was almost let down in a way that I still am employed here. I’m not exactly motivated, slowly working on the stuff that was pending before I went out on leave.