Stress leave?

I’m sorry you continue to have a hard time. It sounds like things have continued to get worse and worse. Sometimes I have found that things get worse before they get better. I hope there is good news for you down the road, in some form or other. Maybe there really will be a better job for you somewhere else. Hang in there.

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.

Wow. I thought this kind of stuff only happened at American companies. So sorry you are having to deal with this, I truly am.

In 2001, I had just come back from the hospital (4 months there). This was the first time my partners were aware of my illness. Nobody welcomed me back. Nobody tried to make me feel comfortable after having been gone for so long. Instead, I soon began receiving a series of emails questioning the quality of my work from my chairman. There were a couple meetings. It was plain to see he was trying to get rid of me. They were obviously discriminating against me. My work was excellent, if I do say so myself. It was an unpleasant time. I finally just left. It wasn't worth trying to work in a discriminatory environment. I didn't need them. I went out on my own and my career exploded, in a good way. Turns out, that department chairman who was so mean to me was just holding me back from what I was really capable of. I find that amusing.

So, what I am saying to you is, as awful as the current situation is for you, this may represent a really good opportunity for you to find something more to you liking. Please don't forget that. That supposedly world-famous department I was part of, it was doing nothing positive for me. So, I went out and did something positive for myself. It worked out better than I ever could have hoped for. Hang in there. This will get better, one way or the other. And I would definitely start quietly looking around for another place to land. If things don't work out where you are now, you're going to need it. Sending you positive vibes. All the best.

Thanks bpcyclist. Sorry you had to go through that awful experience. Since about June, my work was also being seriously criticized for the most minor errors,, while incompetent people were constantly praised. Our boss has no clue about what really goes on in the department.

I've updated my resumes in English and Spanish and am exploring both potential job leads and ways I can make freelance income. I think that's why I am more at peace about eventually being let go. That severance money would really help with my future possibilities, so I don't really think I should quit at the moment.

I am laughing at the fact it must be killing my boss to have to be nice to me when she would probably love to just tear in to me!

Hey rechu! Thanks for the updates on your work situation. I hope the 29th this month goes better than you expect. If they fire you, as bpcyclist pointed out, that could be a total opportunity for you to really pursue something you're more well suited for. That's what I"m telling myself right now as I was just fired 5 weeks into my administrative front desk role yesterday. I won't hijack your thread about it. I just want to reassure you that being fired, as scary as it is, because of the unknowns that come with being fired, can also be reframed as a chance to start over.

I definitely agree, Blanche. In fact, for me the best option for the 29th would be firing with severance. I am so demotivated to even do this job these days; in fact, I really have come to hate it. However, if I quit I only get about 16 vacation days, plus a small unemployment account of about a month's salary. So, I will hang around for now because a salary is better than none. I will do what I can to save money for the future and hope they will put me out of my misery.

Sorry to hear you were fired. So many people I know have been fired lately. It seems like an epidemic.

Well, the meeting was postponed. Not sure how much has made the news elsewhere, but since the 18th the country has been in chaos with rioting and protests. We were under curfew and state of emergency. Most of the company is working from home.I haven't been fired either. I assume because it would look kind of bad to fire someone right in the middle of this. I guess I got another reprieve.

On Saturday I have to go to my health insurer to defend my last leave. They are trying to reduce it again even though I had to be on leave while the workers' comp investigation went on. I asked for Monday off too, so I can hopefully put in an appeal over the same issue. My husband said it's best to fight on all fronts. Government offices have not been functioning normally so I couldn't go this week.

The whole situation has me scared. I still feel like they will fire me eventually. I wasn't so nervous about that before, but now there's so much uncertainty. The economy is going to take a hit from this, that is sure. So, I am worried about what my options will be employment-wise. Starting a business seems out right now. I guess trying to get some freelance clients elsewhere and maybe some English students here is the best way to start. I had thought to try and find tourism-related work, but tourism is definitely going to decline.

This sucks!

@rechu

I’m sorry things have just gotten worse lately. Just when we thought they couldn’t right?

Sometimes things have a way of turning around in ways you least expect it. I looked at the news with what’s going on there and it doesn’t make sense to me.

Hang in there. I’m hoping there’s a silver lining for you in all of this.

Well, the work saga has ended. I went to the meeting on the 5th and while I was waiting for others to come in, my boss came in with a folder. She said she was meeting with me to terminate my contract and showed me the termination letter to read and sign. I was technically fired due to "needs of the business", the most general, common category. Basically, if they say that and pay me what I am owed, it's hard to sue for wrongful termination. Wrongful termination is tough to prove anyways in a case like mine. I know crap was going on behind the scenes to make it look like my work was deficient, but I can't prove it. So, I'm just happy I will get paid and have a financial buffer while I figure out what to do next. I ran their calculations through a simulator on the labor department website and it is properly calculated.

On the 15th I go to the notary to sign the termination documents and get my check. With that I can claim what's in my unemployment account. It turns out, I won't be the only one. The one person in my department I have contact with out of work said they fired someone else in our department too. Apparently, he had no idea what hit him. At least I was prepared for my situation. As they say in Spanish, mine was a "muerte anunciada".

My husband was looking at the termination later and it appears they screwed up. They mention paying me for November on the 29th, but don't indicate anything about through the 5th or days worked. He thinks if I only get paid the 5 days and I go to the labor inspector, I may be able to get the rest of the month paid. That would be nice!

I am proud that I stayed calm in the meeting. Just said okay and signed the papers. I guess I had enough time to accept it and realize it was for the best. I'm glad that they had to pay me, they couldn't get me to quit so they didn't have to pay. I didn't make it easy on them! A victory in a way, I guess.

According to my former co-worker, the environment has gotten even more toxic after two people were fired in the same day. Everyone is confused about what happened and worried if they are next. Another good reason to be out of there.

I stopped by the office yesterday to drop off the computer monitor and headset. Our boss' boss saw me but acted like he didn't. As I said to my husband, I must have had my invisibility cloak on really tightly! HR treated me well at least.

Wow! You really went through a lot! I hope things are going to be much better for you from now on. You’ll finally be able to relax a bit and find a better job.

Well, last Friday I went to sign my severance papers. I ran into the other fired guy. It turns out that he had the same feeling, that there was a clear change in how he was being treated by the editor and our boss. Things that were acceptable were suddenly not and everything was being nitpicked and rejected for the silliest things, making it impossible for him to meet the targets. He said it looked like they were probably trying to get him to quit, but he didn’t expect to be fired at this juncture.

It was validating to hear that. I think it is clearly our boss’ M.O. and once she has you in her sights, for whatever reason, neither he nor I can really pinpoint why she turned against us, you will be gone one way or another. He was impressed I managed to drag it out so long. He said when I was on leave, there were constant closed door meetings between our boss, her boss and HR, probably discussing the workers’ comp investigation.

I got my check and deposited right away, so it is now completely over. It’s a relief.

On Monday government offices were FINALLY open. There have been constant strikes lately. That meant I could go submit the appeal for those 18 days of leave that my insurer doesn’t want to pay.

On Tuesday I went to go see about my unemployment insurance. I’d never had a work contract here before, I had always worked freelance. So, I was not sure how they system operates. I was given two options: either taking the lump sum in my individual unemployment account or receiving that plus graduated payments for the next 5 months that works out to over three times what I had in the individual account. The catch is I have to sign up for a national job bank. There, companies can contact me if they see my resume and want to interview me. You have to go to at least half the interviews offered. There are also some job search seminars and if I am called to go, I have to go. So, there are some requirements I have to meet, but it seems worth it to receive the extra money, especially considering how bad the economy is likely to get with the unrest here.

At least I am feeling a bit more relaxed about finances after that.

Hi Rechu!

I haven't been here as much recently, but I saw your post. I can't believe it all ended up like this - and it must have been incredibly stressful to go through! But, I'm glad that you're finally out of that awful situation, and that the unemployment will provide some help as you look for a new job.

Signing up for the job bank... even though it sounds a little stressful, it also sounds like it could, possibly, be helpful. Who knows, maybe something better and more interesting will come out of it? And, I think you're right, it's worth it for the extra payments.

Good luck with your job search, I hope you find something a billion times better than that last place!

Haha, this is too funny. The other day my husband was looking up something on LinkedIn. He asked me if I remembered the name of the replacement that they had lined up when they wanted to fire me. I told him her name, and he looked her up. According to her account, she only worked from September to December there. I was ultimately let go in November; she barely lasted longer than me. Yet again, it is clear that my former department is toxic, due to the manager. Almost no one lasts.

I wonder if she quit or was fired. Looking at the time frame, they may have fired her in the probationary three month period, so that her contract did not become indefinite, which would have happened automatically after 3 months.

He also noticed that they were looking to hire a research assistant. The job description was the same as what I used to do, although my title was researcher. It's probably to pay people less for the same work.

I am so lucky I am out of there.

From time to time I need a small vacation and rest from work otherwise I will be nonproductive. Twice I got fired after vacation lol

It is important to stay relaxed
I am using some quotes from successful people and it inspire me every time
Try it too

Stay well

Raduzik