Please help as I’m in a bit of a pickle here. So long story short I was going through a rough time with the death of a family member. I spiraled out of control and showed up to work intoxicated.
Somebody noticed, told my supervisor and got escorted out of work to the clinic for a breathalyzer test, I failed it.
So I have been suspended a couple of months with pay. Recently I got called in to a meeting stating that I will be on a suspension with no pay, pending dismissal and I have a meeting coming up regarding the issue. My plan was always to fight it since I have my union and I joined a treatment center and started sober living. But unfortunately this last month I have had nothing but health problems. I’ve been retaining fluid where I cannot sit or even stand for long periods of time because my body swells up drastically. It’s leading to congestive heart failure. I don’t know what to do and I need help on what to decide.
Option 1 would be to resign and be able to use the job on my resume as I have been there for 10+ years. I wouldn’t be able to obtain unemployment unfortunately and I’ll lose my health benefits. But maybe I can apply for disability and find a job when I get better. I will also be able to keep my pension.
Option 2 would be to try to fight it and hopefully keep my job but the only problem is that I can’t work at the moment. So should I let them know about my health problems? I don’t know what to do.
I know I’m in a disadvantage especially because this is a school district job and I feel if I tell them my health issues they will just get rid of me with the excuse of being drunk at work.
Any advice helps,
Thank you.
Comments
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Please help as I’m in a bit of a pickle here. So long story short I was going through a rough time with the death of a family member. I spiraled out of control and showed up to work intoxicated.
Somebody noticed, told my supervisor and got escorted out of work to the clinic for a breathalyzer test, I failed it.
So I have been suspended a couple of months with pay. Recently I got called in to a meeting stating that I will be on a suspension with no pay, pending dismissal and I have a meeting coming up regarding the issue. My plan was always to fight it since I have my union and I joined a treatment center and started sober living. But unfortunately this last month I have had nothing but health problems. I’ve been retaining fluid where I cannot sit or even stand for long periods of time because my body swells up drastically. It’s leading to congestive heart failure. I don’t know what to do and I need help on what to decide.
Option 1 would be to resign and be able to use the job on my resume as I have been there for 10+ years. I wouldn’t be able to obtain unemployment unfortunately and I’ll lose my health benefits. But maybe I can apply for disability and find a job when I get better. I will also be able to keep my pension.
Option 2 would be to try to fight it and hopefully keep my job but the only problem is that I can’t work at the moment. So should I let them know about my health problems? I don’t know what to do.
I know I’m in a disadvantage especially because this is a school district job and I feel if I tell them my health issues they will just get rid of me with the excuse of being drunk at work.
Any advice helps,
Thank you.
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I would prioritize maintaining health insurance. If you are retaining fluid, you already have heart failure and without maintenance, you can get really sick, really fast. With the addiction issues, you probably need health insurance as well.
You should definitely fight for your job. You are not in a position to find a new job right now for numerous reasons.
In terms of whether to tell them of your health problems, talk to your union rep about it. Is your doctor willing to write a letter saying your health problems are either unrelated to prior alcohol abuse or may even be the result of the stress of the situation? It benefits you to tell them about it if they will be willing to work out some accommodation where you work part time or even where you agree to take extended health leave without pay so long as you remain on insurance.
Sorry your going through this. Getting better is the most important thing. Maybe bring it up to them or someone in management that your cordial with. See if they could help you get some type of severance pay.. Before that I would try to look for other jobs. You may be able to find something better for you. Pray about it!!!
Don’t you have case managers at the treatment facility to advise you? Where do you live? Are there other insurance options? Like the affordable care act insurance?
Talk to your treatment providers and your union.
Option 3: fight for your job and look for other jobs at the same time. It is not easy to qualify for disability so your hope in option 1 might not go as planned. If you lose your health insurance, it would be better to maintain your ability to apply for unemployment so you’d at least have some income. As for option 2, no, do not tell them you can’t work at the moment. This is your employer, not your friend. They do not need to know any extra information. Your thought of telling them shows you’re a good person, but to fight the corporate world, you need to be as ruthless as the corporate world back to them. Companies don’t care about you they care about your productivity. If you died tomorrow, they’d replace you by the end of the week. You owe them no courtesy to extra information. If they reinstate you and you have a doctors note about being unable to work, that would be the time to let them know that your doctor has not cleared you to work yet.
If you did it, why do you think you could be successful at fighting it. I’m surprised they just didn’t fire you on the spot
Apply for disability whilst you fight for your job.