Pseudotumor Cerebri Support Group
Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is a neurological disorder that is characterized by increased intracranial pressure, in the absence of a tumor or other diseases affecting the brain or its lining. Diagnosis requires brain scans and lumbar puncture. Characteristic symptoms are headache, transient visual obscurations or transient visual loss in one or both eyes usually lasting...
This has nothing to do with IH, this actually has to do with my work place.
Six weeks ago I informed my supervisor that I was pregnant. She has been very accomidating since then. However Sunday night she was no longer willing to be accomidating.
I only asked one thing and that was to not be assigned to one specific post at work any more. we have 8 posts to be filled, each have different responsibilities.
Every night on the boat (I work in a casino in Indiana) we empty the money out of 750 slot machines. Half the boat...
On the drop ( thats what we call it) there are four posts, RADIO, CART, MIDDLE, FRONT. Basically radio handels all radio traffic and watches the other department switch the cashboxes. Middle watches the exchange of cash boxes, the cart person watches the cart that the full boxes go in and the front person has the hardest job of all. The front is required to move guests while we do this exchange, move out all the chairs (30lbs pc.) and move cones that travel with the drop. This process takes 3 hours to complete. So for three hours you are slinging around 30lb. chairs and cones. I simply asked not to be front during my pregnancy. Every night we all switch posts. we are not the same post every night or even two nights in a row, its rare we are the same post twice a week. I do not see how this could be a problem, it is simply a reasonable accomodation.
Sunday night she thought it would be ok to assign me to be front. I had a fit. Everyone in my dept knows about my pregnancy, knows about my previous pregnancy, everyone was willing to switch with me and she said no. she threated to call my director! She compared this to when she was pregnant and was doing table drops! which is absolutely nothing like slot drops. table drops takes 20 minutes and you take boxes out of the tables and put empty ones in. not lifting or bending required. No rush , you take as long as you want. She compared my situation on the front to hers on the table drops when she went into labor. And let me clearify, she didnt even know she was pregnant till she went into labor!
she involved another shift supervisor in this and continued on to tell my coworkers about the conversation we shared behind closed doors.
Can she fire me for not being able to complete my job duties?
Can she force me to be Front?
What are my options as a pregnant employee and what are my legal rights as a pregnant employee?
and anything else you ahve to add is welcome too
Six weeks ago I informed my supervisor that I was pregnant. She has been very accomidating since then. However Sunday night she was no longer willing to be accomidating.
I only asked one thing and that was to not be assigned to one specific post at work any more. we have 8 posts to be filled, each have different responsibilities.
Every night on the boat (I work in a casino in Indiana) we empty the money out of 750 slot machines. Half the boat...
On the drop ( thats what we call it) there are four posts, RADIO, CART, MIDDLE, FRONT. Basically radio handels all radio traffic and watches the other department switch the cashboxes. Middle watches the exchange of cash boxes, the cart person watches the cart that the full boxes go in and the front person has the hardest job of all. The front is required to move guests while we do this exchange, move out all the chairs (30lbs pc.) and move cones that travel with the drop. This process takes 3 hours to complete. So for three hours you are slinging around 30lb. chairs and cones. I simply asked not to be front during my pregnancy. Every night we all switch posts. we are not the same post every night or even two nights in a row, its rare we are the same post twice a week. I do not see how this could be a problem, it is simply a reasonable accomodation.
Sunday night she thought it would be ok to assign me to be front. I had a fit. Everyone in my dept knows about my pregnancy, knows about my previous pregnancy, everyone was willing to switch with me and she said no. she threated to call my director! She compared this to when she was pregnant and was doing table drops! which is absolutely nothing like slot drops. table drops takes 20 minutes and you take boxes out of the tables and put empty ones in. not lifting or bending required. No rush , you take as long as you want. She compared my situation on the front to hers on the table drops when she went into labor. And let me clearify, she didnt even know she was pregnant till she went into labor!
she involved another shift supervisor in this and continued on to tell my coworkers about the conversation we shared behind closed doors.
Can she fire me for not being able to complete my job duties?
Can she force me to be Front?
What are my options as a pregnant employee and what are my legal rights as a pregnant employee?
and anything else you ahve to add is welcome too
I don't think she can force you to do anything that may be harmful to your pregnancy.
I'm sorry you have to deal with that.
However, your supervisor is also taking a HUGE risk of causing you to injure yourself and harm the company you work for. Pretty stupid move if you ask me.
Wow, usually people bend over backwards to accommodate the pregnant. She's whipping up some bad karma that's for sure!
Good luck!
As far as I know, you have no recourse as far as working front goes until your doctor writes that note. I think that you may want to speak to your HR about her sharing your private conversation with so many people. I could understand it being shared with another supervisor for work reasons, but certainly not the rest of your coworkers other than the ones involved.
The fax will be coming in in the morning. My ob has agreed to a 15 pound weight limit. I am so pissed right now !!! She is doing this out of spite. I have a headache which feels as tho a compactor is squishing my head and a stabbing pain behind my eye. Now im a wreck, already been crying. I went to lunch and was so pissed I couldnt even eat.
She is risking the well being a myself and my child for her personal satisfaction because she has the power to do so!!! UGH!!!!! I dont see how anyone, with or with out a doctors note can knowingly endanger a womans pregnancy and the life of her child!!!!!!! If I had driven myself to work tonight I would clock out and just go home.
So heres the deal.
I will take my sweet precious time. If this drop lasts till clock out time that is perfectly fine with me. I will not strain i will not bust ass. And if i notice pain I will take relief from the drop and go to the hospital!!! then the company will pay for the ambulance transportation and the tests and er visit and the ultrasound. because of her idiocy!!! Ive had it!!!!!!
and this is the long drop tonight. these drops arent exactly even. this drop has 150 more machines to drop than the other side.
Second, if your supervisor has discussed your health with your colleagues who are NOT in positions of authority over you, that is a MAJOR no-no. She could lose her job for that, and your company could be held liable for that.
Your dr has already restricted your lifting. If you haven't provided written notice to your company, make sure you do that. Normally I would NEVER encourage someone to skip level over a direct supervisor, but you need to make at least HR aware of your concerns. This supervisor is misinformed and making dangerous decisions that could hurt you, your baby AND the company. They need to be aware of it so they can handle it according to policy.
The next time she "threatens" to contact the director, welcome it and encourage her to do so! Tell her you would really appreciate it if she would get them involved so you know for certain that this is a decision based on company policy rather than supervisor policy. I can't think of anything that will give this supervisor pause quicker than her threat being received as your salvation.
If worse comes to absolute worse, know that this supervisor is in the wrong and way out of line on several points. DO NOT put your baby at risk over this. Quit if it comes down to that, but I would fight this. I would go to HR directly and request confidential counseling to discuss what has been happening. I suspect they will be thankful that you gave them a chance to remedy in-house rather than just quitting and suing them.
I don't mean any of this as legal advice. I am clearly not a lawyer.
I think you have the right idea with calling an ambulance if things get even halfway bad. Your baby & your health come first. Also, if you have to call for medical help, your supervisor will surely have to answer to someone as to why she continued to go outside of the normal rotation and put you in the front two nights in a row after you requested not to be placed there for medical reasons. Since your HR dept. will get the doctors notice first thing tomorrow, hopefully she will realize her game is over and if she ignores the note, she is fully responsible for the trouble that she gets her own self into.
Hang in there and congratulations on the new edition to your family. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
And congratulations! I can't imagine going through pregnancy with IIH! Are you considered high risk? My pregnancies were bad enough before this cursed disease, and for all I know may have kicked it off!
Food luck to you and I hope tomorrow goes smoothly. Remember to stay calm ;)
Amy
2) yes you can be fired. BUT they have to prove that they fired you for something other than being pregnant and unable to perform your job duties Bc of that pregnancy. And the burden if proof falls on you to prove they fired you because of the pregnancy and that should be easy. You'd own that company if it got that far.
Steps to protect yourself if you are fired.
1) notify HR of your concerns. Provide them with your doctors note. Tell them how your supervisor is acting. Get all this documented.
2) give everyone of power that doctors note. And keep a copy for yourself noting the dates/time/ and who you gave these notes to.
3) Do everything else in your power to keep your nose clean. Meaning show up early, never be late, try to avoid missing a lot of work, try to avoid upsetting people or doing things that could appear as reasons to fire you.
4) Be polite but vocal about your limitations. Example: if you are moving something and you start to feel slightly ill or even a twing that you are pushing yourself/baby to far tell your supervisor and your fellow employees working with you at that time.
5) Try to have as many witnesses as possible when you think something may be questionable. And do everything in your power to avoid private meetings with this supervisor. She can play the "she said" game and can use that as a way of firing you.
6) Document everything!! Keep a journal with dates and time of stuff that happens at work that might later come back and haunt you. If you can give specifics on situations if this does ever end up going to court then you look like the good guy even more.
7) IF you are fired do not sign anything! Tell the person firing you politely that you do not except this and you will be filing a grievance with HR and you will have your lawyer contact them for wrongful termination. Provide in writing via certified mail a letter requesting they notify you why they fired you. Of you request why they have to give a reason why. Yes they will lie. They might say you took to many breaks or something completely stupid and that's when you file the suit or have a lawyer call and scare them. Just get in writing "why" they fired you even if it's a lie because you will get to prove your point.
Your company is in for a huge lawsuit if your supervisor keeps acting this way. So don't do anything that you think could harm you or the baby and play like you are the most polite, rainbow coming out your butt, perfect employee that you can.
Me personally? I'd do everything in my power to push her buttons so she does take it to far and I can take her job. But I'm a stickler for ignorant people who don't respect women and pregnant women at that.
Best if luck and congratulations on the baby. :D
~Courtney~