I know this is months after your ordeal, but right now I need some serious support...I have a serious job delimma. The other day I asked a coworker to help me answer the office phone. I was working on data entry and she was working on her computer, however I had already answered several calls and I asked her to help. She yelled at me for asking then told me to shut up talking to her. I told her that was ignorant of her, the next person in charge came into the office and also said that we should take turns answering the phones. The angry co worker got mad and left for the day. However to cut to the chase, the supervisor has now put me in a different office which is fine with me but she wants to change my schedule to eveings, which means I cant care for my elderly mother on Thursday afternoons. I told her since I'm in a different office my hours shouldn't have to change. She said either work later hours or quit. HELP! I am waiting to hear from her boss at this moment.
Any advice PLEASE.

Unfortunately many states are at-will states, which means that an employer can fire you for any reason or no reason at all. I don't know about your state. I think all you can do is plead your case and let them know the hardship this will put you under. If they won't accommodate you, then I'm afraid you're going to have to look for another job or make other arrangements for your mother. Employers know the job market is bad and people are clamoring for the few jobs that are out there, so they don't seem to care too much about their employees becuase they know there will be someone there to take your place. It sure does suck!

That is awful and there are federal regulations regarding being treated that way. Start researching family friendly acts and regs. I think they were put in place awhile ago. I remember when my daughter was still a pretty much a baby, the daycare called and said she was sick and I had to pick her up. My boss, a female with two kids of her own, said it was ok for today because we weren't busy that day. My jaw dropped and I just looked at her. I was ticked. She took off with her kids! Double standards. Also, I'm surprised your boss would allow your child to come to work with you. I believe there are regs on that too, especially regarding liabilities. Maybe just depends on where you work. Really my first reaction when I read this, I'd start looking for a new job and make sure it's family friendly, seriously. I know it's hard to find jobs, but start looking. Doubt this will be the last time you're up against this.

Hi Stlaries: Let me start out by saying that when you are in the workplace and your co-worker is not helping you with the phones and you need her help, you can ask her to please help you with the phones. When she yelled at you and told you to shut up and you responded that she was ignorant--that meant that BOTH of you engaged in inappropriate conduct within the office. Up until you told her she was ignorant, you were doing just fine.

You and this other co-worker are now separated and you have been delegated to another office and your hours changed. You can ask for a change of hours or even a change of hours for that one day to accommodate you caretaking your mother, but if they say no, you will probably be fired.

You can complaints about it. They can always use the reason that you and another co-worker were inappropriate within the workplace with each other and it was necessary to separate both of you and since you were unable to work the new hours of the new position necessary to separate both of you, then you have to be let go. It's reasonable and necessary in the workplace in order to maintain order.

After 3 months, I asked my boss if he was mad at me and we talked it out. He said my mistake was I should have come to him 3 months ago and I asked him how when u hang up on me? I told him that he says his door is always open, but he shut it then. He agreed and said he understood how I felt then and never apologized, which I told all I wanted was for it not to happen again. He told me he promised it won't happen again IF I promise to come to him if I"m upset about anything. I thought that was his way of asking me not to go to HR, I just said ok, knowing if he broke his promise first, I'm going to HR since the District Manager did nothing. But I think just letting the DM know was enough to let my boss know I'm not taking this crap lying down. Thanks for all your support and good luck to those in the same situation.

Hi Il: I'm glad you still have your job, but I still feel your boss isn't on the good path yet. I'm sorry it's like that and I'm sorry your boss isn't supportive. I'd like to think that should another incident happen, that your boss hopefully will take a different approach (because the last one failed miserably).

My one boss was even furious when I was leaving and moving across country. He didn't want me to leave. Some people will never change.

Hang in there and remember you are doing your best. You can not control lack of a babysitter and your child being sick. You can make sure that you work as hard and as excellently as you can in the areas that you can control.

I know that it is hard when going through this type of stuff. It has been very hard caring for kids when they are sick and the kids are in my custody. Fortunately my superiors are very supportive.

Best of luck to you.

I agree, this will happen again, my boss is very tempermental. Thanks for the support guys.