work issues

[Kathleen_Mc]

I just had a meeting with my manager, union and our "attandance manager" and have been "moved up a level in the "attandance management programme"....now for every time I am off sick, even for one day, I have to have my GP fill out a form justifiing the illness!!!!! This is harrassment but not because they are "observing" all employees in the building and have very strict guidelings, even people ill with cancer and still working through thier treatment are being put in this position. In this programme if you "move up" in the levels high enough you'll be "moved out the door"! Great, after killing myself to continue working after all of this I could end up loosing my job for illness......I should have taken the disablility I was qualified for and offered 16 years ago when this all started! I would have gotten it easily but now it would be very difficult because other than being older and "worn out from coping with this all" I am no different than I was then and I know the responce would be "you weren't disabilied all these years how are you now?"
What a waste of the precious health care dollar for Ontario:
1.qualified nurse who know when she shouldn't be at work books off ill.....dollars spent on her sick pay and her replacements pay
2. health care dollars spend to pay someone it "watch and graph" people's sick time (not done by the manager already employeed done by someone who's only job it to do this)
3. Qualified nurse has to see her doctor...health care dollars spend (may not even need a doctor's attention for the issue at heand) health care dollars spend for his fee
4. form filled out by the doctor, he "extra bills" the nurse for it but it is in the nurses contract that the hospital will pay for notes they request......health care dollars spend to give the cost of the note back to the nurse
5. occupational health nurse reviews the note and varifies it is sufficient to cover the illness and reports to the "attandance manager"
helath care dollars spend
6. "attandance manager" spend time working on nurse file about this.
No wonder there's no money to treat the sick people in Ontario in a timely manner!
Kathleen

[tony]

I might be tempted to offer the manager a small brain injury of his own,
to help him "pro-actively emphasise with his team"
i.e. see how he feels like it when it is his turn....
(maybe they will all visit him in hospital - maybe not ?)
I have Italian friends who may help here.
Strange though, I am sure one of your congressmen or house of reps
is a trauma survivor of some kind - and would be quite interested
in the land of the free - "so long as you are well" attitude
I would have thought that a public service body - or public health
might be a bit more concerned as to their image
Best regards
Tony

[tcrnko]

To Kathleen_Mc
Sounds like you work for Kaiser South.    We ahve an attendance program similar.  It was started because on the abuse that Kaiser allowes in its contracts.  (Best benefits in healthcare).  Problem is that is doesn't take into account people that actually have problems.  However, as management we can intervene and stop the attendance nazi's as long as the illness and time away from work are justified.  I believe yours are.
Not being sure of where you are in nursing, or where you are in regards to corporate retirement, I might suggest that you consider an area where your time is more flexable.  Nursing Mangement seems to work for me...   Of course this may change for me significantly when I am post-op. 
As far as misuse of the corporate dollar, I think anyone that has been in healthcare can speak to the abuse of healthcare money.  It is an abomination.  I hope that your peers at least are sympathetic to your problem, even though they may not be able to help with the attendence issue.

Batty,  keep you chin up.
Agreeing with many others, there is most probably a highranking official who at least in this election year will take up your cause.  Broadcast e-mail is a great tool.

[Jim Scott]

Batty Princess:

You clearly got a raw deal and were treated shabbily, in the process.  You certainly have a right to be angry.  I would be.

As others have posted, you likely have various work options - especially if you can do something online - and if you pursue a Masters degree, as you said you were considering, those options may widen.  You appear to have a good attitude and of course, that always helps. 

I wish you success in all that you do.  Please keep us informed.


Jim[/color]

[Battyp]

Thanks guys. 
I'm going to tax school right now which unf. isn't a full time year round job but it's something.  Hoping to get a masters in accounting and work from home or at least for myself.  One day at a time!  I know there has to be something better down the road and I don't want to keep working for someone who doesn't appreciate me and is more concerned with the all mighty dollar.  They aren't trying to stick to their budgets etc...

[chrissmom]

Batty,
 I'm worried about you.  You really don't deserve this and to not inform you is really wrong.  To top it all off, it's difficult to get disability.  I know how tired you can get teaching.  It is so demanding and when you have hearing and balance disabilities, it's even more difficult.

1.  Are you able to subsitute ? 

2.   With No Child Left Behind, there is a huge demand for tutors.  I even see tutoring businesses springing up.  You might be able to start and run your own business.

Good Luck

[Battyp]

No on the substitute
No on the tutoring.  I did offer to try to tutor the two kids across the street to see if I can handle it.  But in order to make enough to live off off I need full time work being the only household provider and having my son who likes to eat....LOL  I did speak with a state rep who's suppose to try to help streamline the vr process since it seems to be taking extrememly long (  Work was in their rights to let me go since I didn't come back for 12 mos only 6 before going back out.  It was just a moral thing by not telling me. 

[Brendalu]

Battyprincess,
Why can't we have a fundraiser for you?  Each of us could have some kind of something and then send the funds to you.  We did it for a friend of mine who had brain surgery.  Not an AN and it was great.  It wasn't a nationwide thing, just local but we raised ten thousand dollars.  We have to have your permission and a mailing address, but the rest is easy.  I'm sure we could get the local newspapers and TV stations to doing something.  What do you say, Batty?  I really want to help.  I was a single Mom of two daughters for many years and I know it isn't easy under the best circumstances and when you have the problems we do, you need an extra little hand up.  What do all of you say about helping out?  It could be neighborhood bake sales, garage sales, all kinds of things.  Feedback, please.
Hugs,
BrendaO

[Battyp]

Brendalu thanks for much for the offer. You just gave me warm fuzzies.  I just got into an arugment with my mom today over cobra insurance.  I can't afford it and she says I can't afford not to.  Makes me wonder how many people are thrown into what I'm going through.  It boggles my mind there are so many resources for the poor(most of the ones I know who are getting help are abusing the system and choose to be poor) and the old but nothing for us in betweens.  I don't mean to sound nasty as I'm just frustrated. Does anyone have a crystal ball and can tell me this will get better before it kills me?  LOL