Venting:SSDI vs Working and health in balance

I am about to find out about a side of SSDI I have not had the "pleasure" of exploring before and am nervous and

I was on SSDI for over a decade. I got level with the right med cocktail eventually and therapy, went back to school, got a degree and certification. Went back to work, PT then FT. Used up my 9 trial work period months. Worked 2.5 years. Had a relapse last fall. Since I was in the 3 year reinstatement period, SSDI resumed no questions asked. It has been 6 months. I am better, attempted to go back to work, 2- 20 hour weeks, and this was the first 40 hour week so far and it was a struggle.

I found out from my employer that they may not be able to accommodate my doctor's restrictions despite telling me otherwise when I went back; they tell me this now after I have already been back at work. I now suspect it was so they would not have to pay the long term disability insurance which I now do not qualify for since I am back at work. I also am now past my 3 year reinstatement period. I am more angry than I can tell you.

I am still in the supposed 5 year period to file for a different kind of reinstatement, which I have to find out more how to do. But I do know the literature from SSDI mentions needing documentation. I hope it is different from having to file a claim initially. My doctor will help but it is the process that scares me. I will have to look into this further. However, if do not re-qualify for SSDI, and no long term disability insurance, how will I live?!!

I cannot work without those restrictions and despite not wanting to go back on SSDI, I need help. I should not have gone back to work. What was I thinking? Silly me for trying to get better, (as the tears come.)

I am nervous, scared, angry, stressed, and more tired than I have ever been. Too many decisions, too many unknowns to deal with right now, with bills to pay, and my health in the balance. I am going to try to stop crying now. ***Sigh*** WIll figure something out.

Thanks for listening.

Your employer is bound by law to make reasonable accomodations for you. If your emoyer feels the accomodations you need are beyond what is reasonable, then they will fight you on that. Do you think there is any merit to the position that the concessions you need them to make are too burdensome for them to allow. You do have to try to look at things from their perspective to come up with an understanding of what is fair to expect. No employer wants to take on an employee, when it looks like it is only a matter of time before that employee will throw in the towel and stop working with the expectation of collecting disability insurance that the employer had to pay for. That's not fair.

Actually, I'm not clear on how this disability insurance that your employer pays for works.

I did not plan , I'll just go back on SSDI and STDI/LTDI. My Mom died and my Dad got a cancer diagnosis 2 mos later. He was in hospice a month after that. I shut down, going into a major depression besides the grief for both. I did not plan this or ever expect to go back on disability. Quite the opposite in fact, it never even entered my mind until 2 months into leave that my doc suggested I refile.

The restrictions my doc Pdoc asked for are temporary at that. For me not to work more than 40 hours, and shifts not longer than 8 for the time being. This is what I was hired for, 40 hrs a week, 8 hour shifts. In essence, it is to to prevent overtime right now until I get get my feet back under me.

Overtime is mandatory for us in that we are scheduled for it at times but usually weekly. 12-16 hours shifts are the norm or working 7 days a week. HR, offsite, are saying they "cannot restrict against something that might not happen", except for us it is a normal occurrence. My doc even knew this that is why he did that. They tried to tell me that they could restrict me to 1st shift and I explained that I don't want to be inflexible, I can work 2nd shift because they need the coverage, just not the extra hours right now and restricting to first shift could still have me working the extra hours by 2 extra days a week. By Friday this week, I was dragging. I needed the day to recoup. I need to have a day off to recharge right now as I don't bounce back quickly at the moment. I won't get it otherwise.

At the moment too I can barely get through the 8 hours daily, and I have only had one week back FT. I know I will be able to get back to myself but it is going to take some time.

I can understand from their perspective not having an employee available to work extra hours can be a problem, but I know for a fact there are two employees alone at my site that do not work more than 40 hours, perhaps it is an understood agreement with the managers at my site and not through HR, that I don't know. However, I am also not asking this on a permanent basis and at that, my supervisor and manager are fine with this.

What I don't understand is that they held my job for me for 6 months, which was beyond nice and by far did not have to do, but HR was literally hostile over this. Perhaps it was the last straw. (?) To me, I see that I am contributing coverage for much needed holes in the schedule taking the burden off the other employees so they don't have to work as much OT, creating a better environment, and cutting costs because they are not having to pay as much OT for the bottom line, which is an even bigger concern to them in the scheme of things.

I just don't get it.

Is there any chance you could change your status to part-time? Like if you were a 0.5 employee, committed to only 20 hours a week, but you could be available for more.