The reason I was recently fired from my job

[graywarrior]

My husband, who works for the same company, defended me verbally to an HR representative in the parking lot at work where she accosted me while I was dropping off my husbands car and she tried to convince me to stay on medical leave which I refused to do because I am no longer sick. My doctor recommended that I not return to the same job as I may injure myelf again. I was not trying to get worker's compensation, although the company submitted a claim for me which I never responded to.

Because my husband is totally confident and expresses his opinion honestly, he ticked off the HR rep, who had my immediate supervisor leave a message on my answering machine to turn in my key, etc. Then, Miss HR had my husband called into HR to reprimand him and is trying to get him fired. His supervisor sat in on the meeting and declared that he was one of her best employees and that she had no problems with his work performance. He thinks it is marvelous that he gets to have verbal sparring with a vindictive HR rep, but I'm pissed.

I was not thinking of applying for unemplyment, but now I think I may have to. I was out of work for over a month due to illness caused from lifting at work. Now I get a letter from my health insurance telling me they will not pay for my recent medical expenses because there is a question of pre-existing conditions. WTF? I'm 55! Who the hell doesn't have pre-existing conditions at this age?

Rant rant rant.

[tk2kewl]

1. sounds like lawyer time to me

[graywarrior]

2. As in Photoshop?

[graywarrior]

3. Oh, thanks for the type correction.

[MrScorpio]

4. I just realized that I'm too much of a nice guy to do HR

Do you have to be an asshole to do well in that kind of work?

[tk2kewl]

5. my father on HR...

"nothing humane or resourceful about them"

[demnan]

7. In my experience, yes.

[Bunny]

6. You got hurt at work but didn't want a worker's comp claim?

If the illness was work related, how did you get treatment, etc. and NOT file a work comp claim? I don't understand. :shrug:

[graywarrior]

8. I had been not feeling well for about a month before I left work

sick one day about 4 or 5 weeks ago. I had been having severe stomach pain and nausea. The day I got sick at work, I was working around moldy, wet books which sent me over the edge physically. The company took it upon themselves to report it to worker's comp that I got sick from exposure to mold. When I was sent to the worker's comp doctor, he examined me for mold exposure and said he found nothing. He never tested me for stomach muscle injury or anything else other than mold exposure. At that time, I really didn't know what was wrong with me.

My own doctor had me take blood tests for ulcers, an ultra sound and a few other tests. He determined that the repetitive motion of my job irritated my muscle and recommended that I find other work.

I nned to add here that this company is very close to losing their worker's comp insurance due to all the claims against them. 86% of their employees that were hired so far this year have left the company. It costs them between $2,000 and $4,000 for each new employee they hire. They are in trouble. They jumped the gun about contacting worker's comp and they admitted that. They have an out of control HR person who talks about employees to other employees and people who have been with this company for 15 years or more are losing their jobs because of her.

[Love Bug]

9. sorry to hear about this -- it sucks

Definately apply for unemployment. You earned it by paying taxes. Your company may try to screw you out of it -- though I really don't understand why you were let go. Your supervisor is a wimp, BTW. He/she should have told the HR rep to go screw herself for interfering with his/her reports.

If it's not too late, file a work comp claim on your medical stuff. They may cover it and you may also be eligible for lost wages since your doctor has stated you shouldn't go back to that kind of work.

Never, never turn down offers of work comp, unemployment, or any other help you are entitled to, because you have a right to these even though the paperwork sucks and you may be denied. When you refused the work comp you sent a signal to your employer that your medical issues weren't serious and also deprived yourself of an advocate that could have interceeded between you and your employer. If you had filed it would have been more difficult for them to fire you legally because you would have had protections against being fired for a work-related illness/injury.

I don't blame you for being pissed at your husband. Even though firing you for his actions is bullshit, unless you are in a union we all pretty much "serve at the pleasure of the president" of the company. In other words, we can be fired for pretty much any reason at all that isn't clearly illegal and sometimes they do it anyway because they know the worker doesn't have the resources to fight back.

[graywarrior]

10. Thanks for that info. It's valuable

Note: I sure ain't pissed at my husband. He stood up for me when I should have done that for myself.