[shutterbug]

Yep, i didn't think it'd happen with this newspaper i've been with now for over 2 years. I didn't think they'd ever start harrassing me for nonsense stuff because of me being sick and trying to heal and keep my job.

But, they arn't as educated or understanding as i'd thought and hoped.

I've been officially reprimanded for 4 things that shouldn't be big deals and that i believe to be covered under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).

2 of them i'm nearly positive are violations of the law against me:

1. I called in sick Tuesday (having no earned leave left).

This is soooo rediculous to me!! I had to use all my official paid leave while i was on disability leave and in the hospital for a month and day treatment for a month before that. So even tho I NEVER call in sick the day of....because i always push myself through the tortorous hell i often wake up with!! But Tuesday, i slept through my several alarms and when i tried to get up to get dressed and go to work, i found i could barely move and felt like the living dead. Just walking to the bathroom was very painful.

So, I got in trouble for not being superwoman.

3. About 3 weeks ago, I'd been able to push myself beyond how bad i felt and made it into the office. But, I went to my boss told him how bad i was feeling and asked if he could "please" only assign me the minimum assignments that needed to be done for the next day's paper.

He granted that request without saying anything about it. Now, nearly a month later....I get a reprimand for it. My opinion is that if he'd had a problem with me asking that....why didn't he say that or talk to me about it then? And if it was such a bad thing to even ask for (only ONE time) then why didn't he say no OR why didn't he tell me to just go home and take care of myself if i was that ill?

Providing flexible work hours, time off and restructuring work duities are ALL included as part of the ADA, unless doing so would cause an undue hardship to the employer. Neither of these things caused an undue hardship!!!!

So, yesterday i had suicidal thoughts on my mind. Today i did a little, but then that turned to anger and aggressive emotions.

I don't understand how after a year of working there I get a substantial raise and then after the second year (and disclosure of mental health and having to take leave to get treatment) ....all the sudden I'm no longer a valued employee and no longer respected and being treated as tho they are trying to force me to take full disability leave?

Well, they win....for now. I have no fight left in me.

I did, however, spend about 6 hours responding to each of the issues i'm being reprimanded for and why I believe them to be violations of the ADA and not in accordance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

But at the end (of what turned out to be about 12 pages of information and comments from me)....I told them I felt they were giving me no other choice than to apply for the full disability that i have been struggling against having to do. I don't understand why they seem to want me to take the full disability leave......other than they just don't want me there anymore.

I flat out asked them that too!! But of course they said they don't want me to leave or to replace me. But their actions say the opposite.

I'm mad as hell!
Jenna