It hurts a “little”.
Right, this is ridiculous. Absolutely, utterly ridiculous. If anyone is reading this in the future and thinks companies always have their employees’ best interests at heart, please let this entry serve as a stark warning. I’ve gone and broken my right foot. Properly broken it. During company time, no less! You’d think that would warrant a bit of compassion, maybe a few days to hobble around at home and heal, wouldn’t you? Nope. Not here.
Apparently, a fractured foot is no excuse for a dip in “high quality work and output.” I’m not making this up. My toes look like overstuffed sausages, throbbing with a dull ache that occasionally flares into a sharp, football-to-the-shin kind of pain – a delightful souvenir from my amateur playing days that I could really do without right now.
And the worst part? I’m navigating the shop-floor like some kind of wounded penguin. No walking stick, no crutches, just me trying to balance on one leg while carrying files and answering phones.
I even went to HR, thinking, naively, that they might offer some sort of support. A temporary adjustment to my workload? A crutch loan? Anything! Instead, I’ve been met with… silence. Complete and utter radio silence. My emails are being ignored. My calls are going unanswered. It’s like I’ve suddenly become invisible.
Honestly, I’m floored. I knew companies could be demanding, but this level of blatant disregard for an employee’s well-being? It’s a new low. I’m starting to think all those horror stories you hear are actually understated. I never, ever imagined a workplace could be this… bad.
I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up. Every step is agony, and the constant pressure to perform is just making everything worse. I feel so utterly unsupported and frankly, quite angry. This isn’t just about a broken foot anymore; it’s about basic human decency. And right now, that seems to be in very short supply around here.
I’m sure you have a doctor’s note or receipt that can be presented to HR or show them your toes. I’m assuming you are in the U.S. and the Americans with Disabilities act says, “The ADA does not specifically require employers to provide medical or disability-related leave. However, it does require employers to make reasonable accommodations for qualified employees with disabilities if necessary to perform essential job functions or to benefit from the same opportunities and rights afforded employees without disabilities. Accommodations can include modifications to work schedules, such as leave. There is no set leave period mandated because accommodations depend on individual circumstances and should generally be granted unless doing so would result in “undue hardship” to the employer.”
The company could be held liable if you further injured your foot by working with it injured. If your HR is on-site, go to them. If not, send them the above. If you are an hourly employee, they can furlough you without pay until you are released by your physician, but then, you’d have a case for the ADA.
I was an HR manager. If you live out the outside, then I don’t know what rights you have. You are correct, though, they are only concerned with the bottom line — profits — employees are just cogs in the wheel. Also, check your employee handbook if you have one about such things.
People assume they have a lot of rights they actually don’t have. In my state, there is very little about what an employer can and cannot do; it’s left to the federal government.
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Geeeeze… I feel you. I’m sorry to hear this happened to you. Last week, a big door shut on my foot and I’m wearing crocs because I can’t fit into my regular dress shoes. Wouldn’t you know the owner of the company is staying here tonight and saw my crocs, but I told him what was going on and he seems cool with that
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I do hope you feel better soon. Hugs.
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