Fibromyalgia Support Group

You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.

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kimberh 04/15/2016

I am feeling very sad and even a bit angry today. I feel like I am being harassed on my job because of my fibromyalgia. We have a team of bosses where I work. I have explained my condition to all 5 of them so it is not like they don't know what I am going through. Yet, this past month, they keep giving me more work than I can do. I work in IT, but all the work they are giving me is outside of my career field. So I have to learn all this new stuff that I don't understand. Between the pain and the brain fog, I am just not picking the stuff up. But of course when I fail at the tasks, they make sure that I know it.

I have been missing a lot of work lately due to my flares and I think this is their way of trying to get me to 'voluntarily' leave the organization. I think they are afraid to fire me because of fibro since that would be illegal. They also could not fire me because of past job performance since I do a good job in IT. So I think they have decided to give me work that I cannot do and then document my failures. So the message I am getting is that either I should leave on my own or they will build a case to fire me before too long.

I am really stressing about this because my husband is retired and the loss of my income would be devastating to us financially. I am also stressing because I am finding it difficult to deal with the fact that these people could be so uncaring and cruel. I am sorry for rambling on, but I just don't know what to do.

Shakota6 04/15/2016

I am sorry to read your struggles at the job.

Is there anyone (HR?) in the organization that you can go and talk to?

Perhaps it's time to consult a labor attorney. The first half-hour is usually free.

The Job Accommodation Network has free counseling and was set up by the government to support employment for the disabled. http://askjan.org/indiv/index.htm#on

Have you communicated to your bosses that the work load is too much? When you're flared up, is there any way you can do some work from home?

kimberh 04/15/2016

Thank you Shakota! I do need to try to calm myself and look at this logically. I have told the head boss that I feel the new work is more than I can do and that I don't understand it. His exact words were, "Do you want cheese to go with that whine?" So I guess it is time to talk to HR.

Cocoa1 04/15/2016

I'm so sorry for the way that you are being treated. Those people should be ashamed of themselves. Is it possible for you to get intermittent FMLA, which could allow you to take off so many days per month due to flares? My doctor wrote up my intermittent leave, so that I could take off 1-2 days per month due to flares. I also requested reasonable accommodations through my jobs disability department.

You can go to the site that Shakota posted and it will give you a list of reasonable accommodations for fibromyalgia. I pray that you get a resolution soon.

basketballmom23 04/15/2016

That is no way for your head boss to act. I would certainly go to HR, unless they are also in on this. That happens where I work, it seems.

I am sorry you have to go through all of this. It is completely unfair to give you work that is out side of your work and expect you to succeed.

I just wanted you to know that you can come here anytime to "whine" and we won't offer you cheese. What a jerk!! We have your back.

tessmcnealhobbs 04/15/2016

I think that I would try for the FMLA. Tell your Doc what you are experiencing. Maybe they can help?

If that won't work, and you can last, let them fire you. Unemployment pay is better than no pay. . I am in the same position with a retired husband. We are paying a lot a month for benedfits and I can't go to work because I am too sick.

Sorry. This sucks for you.

jrk1288 04/15/2016

I had a similar thing happen shortly after I was diagnosed. Basically got called in for a meeting, blamed for an issue that happened with a client on 2 separate occasions (one was on my day off, but with the same doctor who was afraid of the woman's dogs), and my hours were cut from full time to 30 hrs/week. I was supporting myself and my boyfriend at the time and I think it happened for the reason you mention; they can't fire me for having Fibro so they looked for things to "document". I was told I could get a dock in pay or get fired if anything else happened, or if I failed "skills assessments". I was not the most skilled person there but not the least either (and I was the least experienced). I ended up quitting before they could do anything more than cutting my hours but the whole situation was miserable. The place was a small business so no HR department but if your job has one you should definitely talk to them.

AnnNY 04/15/2016

If you want to hang in there, you should document these incidents. You may want to contact a lawyer so you can negotiate an exit. You do have rights, and these people sound like awful people. I can't imagine working in such an organization, unless these people were all fired. Or you moved to a completely separate part of the company. Find out the laws on recording conversations are in your states. It's easy enough to prove this harassment if your state allows one party recordings.

And what Shakota said.

ItsJustMe2012 04/15/2016

Are the things that you are asked to do part of your job description ? Does your place of employment have enough employees that they have to go by the ADA ?

MadelinefFromNJ 04/16/2016

How terrible that they are treating you so abysmally. It does sound like a deliberate effort on their part to get you to leave. Do not contact your HR department. Contrary to what is thought, HR works to rote the the company, and not for its employees. If you have a written job description, obtain it. If your jobs duties have been changed, has your job description reflected it? Document everything, and keep meticulous records. If you don't already have copies of your good performance reviews that were signed off on by both you and your supervisor(s), collect them. You may wish to contact an employment attorney to determine your rights and the best course of action. And depending which state you live in, if you are fired for cause, you may be unable to collect.

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