This subject was brought to my attention by a blog reader Laura. thanks for sharing your story its just like mine.
If you had asked me this question in 2005 when I was first diagnosed my answer would have been. Sure tell your employer. They think your a fantastic employee and they deserve to know. My answer today after my experience as well as Laura's... The answer is HELL NO!!
In 2006 I was already diagnosed with MS. I had been blind for four months. I was lucky and regained my eyesight in both eyes. I started a new job. With my previous banking/mortgage experience I was hired for a low income housing company. The built and maintained about 100 apartment complexes. Most of there complexes were USDA owned. I worked in the construction side. I use to manage construction loans in banking. I did everything from paying contractors, insurance issues, liens, spread sheets, budgets and obtained bids. I loved this job and not just because I had my own office. I was well respected, valued and not to toot my own horn but I was bragged about by the President of the company. They had Friday morning meetings and 75% of the time I was brought up to the other employees. I started thinking "cool it the other employees are not going to like me".
MS does not like stress. I soon was suffering from double vision. I had to drive and work with an eye patch on. I didn't say anything at first. I just said doctors are running tests. I had steriod treatment over a weekend. My eyesight came back again. All was good again I thought. Few weeks later my left leg was hurting one morning. I had to stay close to the walls when I walked. I was very unsteady on my leg suddenly. Two days later my entire left leg was numb. So now I felt I had no choice but to tell my employer. I just couldn't show up in a wheelchair and expect no questions. My office was upstairs too. No elevator just stairs. I made the huge mistake of telling my employer I had MS.
At first they were so great. What do you need? Can we help? Are you ok? Well I don't know what happened to my great employers but within 3 weeks they turned into assholes! I had to move into a cubical down stairs. That was fine but I did love the peace and quite of my office. I had changed my work habits in no way at all. I was using a manual wheelchair. My insurance had ordered me an electric custom made one. It would take few weeks. It was very hard for me to get around in my wheelchair. Getting into the bathroom door alone was hard. Try to push open a heavy door while wheeling in at the same time. One morning I got to work to learn that my position now had more responsibilities. There was a position that on a full time basis before was now my responsibility too. I was shocked! I was now having to do the work 2 people did. Being over whelmed was an understatement. The new position took 80% of my days. I brought it to a managers attention that I needed help. I was quickly told "are you telling me you can't do your job"? The slap from reality hurt. I said no not at all. I thought to myself "ohh ok so this is how you want to do this"! When my eyes were opened I saw clearly what they were trying to do. They wanted me out of there!
It really hurts when your employer treats you horribly just because you have MS. I guess maybe they thought I was a liability? There mistake was thinking they were pushing me out one day before I wanted to. That evening I went to the ADA website. I learned what I could expect from my employer and what they had to "reasonable" adapt for me.
First I tried to get one day less in my work week. I was told no way! I said to myself ok we can do it the hard way if they wanted. Got my neurologist to write me out a letter. This letter stated that as my employer they were obligated by law to provide me with "reasonable accommodations". As a reasonable accommodation she was requiring that I have every Wednesday off due to medical condition. NEVER allow a doctor to be specific in a note or letter. It's always just "due to medical condition". You are not obligated to tell your employer what your medical condition is, and they can't ask. At first they actually said to me "we are going to have to consult our attorneys and get back with you". Those were there actual words to me. My lawyer want-a-be self spoke up. I said excuse me are you actually telling me you have to discuss with your attorney as to weather or not you legally have to allow this accommodation? It was Tuesday afternoon. I said you do and I will see you on Thursday. They know the ADA laws backwards and forward. As I said most of there properties were owned by the USDA. We (the company) had to do many "reasonable accommodations" for the tenants in there USDA properties. Widen doorway, change out entire showers and add another a/c wall unit. These are examplesthat came across my desk. So you can see just why I was so upset. My reasonable accommodation cost them NOTHING!!! They needed to speak to their lawyers!!! Omg!
They liked to have meetings with me alone. Two bosses and me. I learned to take very good notes. The first thing I did after each meeting was I would send an email. This email would say "I just wanted to go over what we discussed in the meeting. I would email it to both of them and blind Cc myself. I would then print the email and take it home. My employer became nasty, rude, hateful and just plain ignorant! I learned real fast to CYA! Cover my ass!
The stress was really killing me. I worked for them a few months total after I told them I had MS. The day I left I sent a long email to the owner. I wanted him to be aware the people he had running his business may cause him to loose it. A few months later the three people who made my life a living hell were all fired! Karma!
I didn't discuss everything that they did and said to me. My point is that you need to learn the ADA laws. What my employer did was illegal. No employee should be treated this way. I stood up to them as long as I could. They eventually got what they wanted in the end for me to be gone. All the stress they put on me was not worth it. I had so many steroid treatments while under their employment then I have had since my diagnosis! Looking back I should have NEVER told them I had MS. It was none of there business!
If you have had similar experiences please write me a comment here or email it to me. [email protected]
We all need to share our stories and experiences to ensure no one else is harassed and discrimated against. If anyone needs my help please ask me. I would love to!
I hope everyone has a fantastic Saturday! See you all tomorrow. Don't forget to laugh today!
Trivia:
Yesterday's answer: Adults blink about every 5 seconds and babies about every minute.
Today's: how many noses does a slug have? A) 1 B) 4 C) 7
If you had asked me this question in 2005 when I was first diagnosed my answer would have been. Sure tell your employer. They think your a fantastic employee and they deserve to know. My answer today after my experience as well as Laura's... The answer is HELL NO!!
In 2006 I was already diagnosed with MS. I had been blind for four months. I was lucky and regained my eyesight in both eyes. I started a new job. With my previous banking/mortgage experience I was hired for a low income housing company. The built and maintained about 100 apartment complexes. Most of there complexes were USDA owned. I worked in the construction side. I use to manage construction loans in banking. I did everything from paying contractors, insurance issues, liens, spread sheets, budgets and obtained bids. I loved this job and not just because I had my own office. I was well respected, valued and not to toot my own horn but I was bragged about by the President of the company. They had Friday morning meetings and 75% of the time I was brought up to the other employees. I started thinking "cool it the other employees are not going to like me".
MS does not like stress. I soon was suffering from double vision. I had to drive and work with an eye patch on. I didn't say anything at first. I just said doctors are running tests. I had steriod treatment over a weekend. My eyesight came back again. All was good again I thought. Few weeks later my left leg was hurting one morning. I had to stay close to the walls when I walked. I was very unsteady on my leg suddenly. Two days later my entire left leg was numb. So now I felt I had no choice but to tell my employer. I just couldn't show up in a wheelchair and expect no questions. My office was upstairs too. No elevator just stairs. I made the huge mistake of telling my employer I had MS.
At first they were so great. What do you need? Can we help? Are you ok? Well I don't know what happened to my great employers but within 3 weeks they turned into assholes! I had to move into a cubical down stairs. That was fine but I did love the peace and quite of my office. I had changed my work habits in no way at all. I was using a manual wheelchair. My insurance had ordered me an electric custom made one. It would take few weeks. It was very hard for me to get around in my wheelchair. Getting into the bathroom door alone was hard. Try to push open a heavy door while wheeling in at the same time. One morning I got to work to learn that my position now had more responsibilities. There was a position that on a full time basis before was now my responsibility too. I was shocked! I was now having to do the work 2 people did. Being over whelmed was an understatement. The new position took 80% of my days. I brought it to a managers attention that I needed help. I was quickly told "are you telling me you can't do your job"? The slap from reality hurt. I said no not at all. I thought to myself "ohh ok so this is how you want to do this"! When my eyes were opened I saw clearly what they were trying to do. They wanted me out of there!
It really hurts when your employer treats you horribly just because you have MS. I guess maybe they thought I was a liability? There mistake was thinking they were pushing me out one day before I wanted to. That evening I went to the ADA website. I learned what I could expect from my employer and what they had to "reasonable" adapt for me.
First I tried to get one day less in my work week. I was told no way! I said to myself ok we can do it the hard way if they wanted. Got my neurologist to write me out a letter. This letter stated that as my employer they were obligated by law to provide me with "reasonable accommodations". As a reasonable accommodation she was requiring that I have every Wednesday off due to medical condition. NEVER allow a doctor to be specific in a note or letter. It's always just "due to medical condition". You are not obligated to tell your employer what your medical condition is, and they can't ask. At first they actually said to me "we are going to have to consult our attorneys and get back with you". Those were there actual words to me. My lawyer want-a-be self spoke up. I said excuse me are you actually telling me you have to discuss with your attorney as to weather or not you legally have to allow this accommodation? It was Tuesday afternoon. I said you do and I will see you on Thursday. They know the ADA laws backwards and forward. As I said most of there properties were owned by the USDA. We (the company) had to do many "reasonable accommodations" for the tenants in there USDA properties. Widen doorway, change out entire showers and add another a/c wall unit. These are examplesthat came across my desk. So you can see just why I was so upset. My reasonable accommodation cost them NOTHING!!! They needed to speak to their lawyers!!! Omg!
They liked to have meetings with me alone. Two bosses and me. I learned to take very good notes. The first thing I did after each meeting was I would send an email. This email would say "I just wanted to go over what we discussed in the meeting. I would email it to both of them and blind Cc myself. I would then print the email and take it home. My employer became nasty, rude, hateful and just plain ignorant! I learned real fast to CYA! Cover my ass!
The stress was really killing me. I worked for them a few months total after I told them I had MS. The day I left I sent a long email to the owner. I wanted him to be aware the people he had running his business may cause him to loose it. A few months later the three people who made my life a living hell were all fired! Karma!
I didn't discuss everything that they did and said to me. My point is that you need to learn the ADA laws. What my employer did was illegal. No employee should be treated this way. I stood up to them as long as I could. They eventually got what they wanted in the end for me to be gone. All the stress they put on me was not worth it. I had so many steroid treatments while under their employment then I have had since my diagnosis! Looking back I should have NEVER told them I had MS. It was none of there business!
If you have had similar experiences please write me a comment here or email it to me. [email protected]
We all need to share our stories and experiences to ensure no one else is harassed and discrimated against. If anyone needs my help please ask me. I would love to!
I hope everyone has a fantastic Saturday! See you all tomorrow. Don't forget to laugh today!
Trivia:
Yesterday's answer: Adults blink about every 5 seconds and babies about every minute.
Today's: how many noses does a slug have? A) 1 B) 4 C) 7
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