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How Do I Talk To My Supervisor?? Help

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hermitboy

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I have had trouble keeping jobs since I began working at age 15 in 2005. Always had absence or lateness issues and was eventually fired. I have tried working first, second and third shift jobs and nothing has changed. I have had over 15 jobs. I have tried very hard to stick it out and just try to work through the anxiety but it is crippling.

(side note: i have been diagnosed with PTSD, Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia)

I quit my part-time job of almost 2 years in March 2015 due to severe anxiety and stress. Plus supervisor and customer harassment ( I worked in an adult store...). Since then I have been doing odd jobs and mostly doing landscaping work for my grandparents.

I got a new part-time job June 2015 and it requires me to go out to different stores and is sort of like a "secret shopper" or inventory job. I still struggle with those jobs even though i only work about 10-15 hours a week. I can't stand being in stores or surrounded by people but i need to pay my bills.

But since I was hired, my supervisor has asked me to do Team work jobs on top of my independent projects. I have been able to get out of doing them so far because they all have been about 50+ miles from my house so she has let me refuse the work, but she hasn't been too happy because the teams are supposedly short handed.

But yesterday she called me and asked me to do another Team project and it is right down the street from my house, so I had no excuse travel wise and I told her I would go. At the time I was thinking/telling myself that "It will be okay it is only for 4-5 hours". I spent the whole day and night in panic mode and very aggravated and couldn't sleep. I ended up taking an extra Klonopin hoping I'd fall asleep before midnight but I was up until 4am.

The job was at this morning.... I woke up 20mins past the time I was supposed to be there. I felt even more aggravated, guilty and basically feeling like a piece of ****. I checked everywhere on the companies website and they have an HR section but they do not have a phone number....on the page it even says they are extremely short staffed and they only respond to email and it may take up to 2-3 days to receive a response...so I sent them an email.

In the mean time... how do I tell my supervisor I can't work these team projects without losing my job? How much info am I supposed to share with her directly about my disability?

AHHHHHHHHHH
SO
FRUSTRATED


-hermitboy
 
Not entirely sure what the right course of action is for you I will give you this tidbit of information.

In the US, PTSD is considered by the ADA as a disability.(it's also SS but only if it limits your life to a certain extent. If you are only able to work PT this may be something that you and a therapist would want to explore)

I don't know how it would work in a job like yours but I know that for other positions you are protected by the ADA and are allowed certain accommodations. It might be worth preemptively having a discussion with your supervisor (you do not have to disclose WHAT your disability is to her but I believe that if there is an HR department that you will have to disclose to them) that you have a disability by the definition of the ADA that has certain impacts on your performance. You can ask for accommodations this way. It does work better in larger organizations as they have more flexibility to allow YOU to be more flexible.

That said, I would not make that my fall back position every time something goes wrong. You can certainly still be fired for not meeting expectations and in 'right to work' states they don't need a reason to let you go.

Certainly a conversation with your boss is most likely indicated.
my .02
 
Unfortunately, you may end up getting let go. US law requires reasonable accommodations, but it may not be reasonable for your boss to only give you independent work. I think you should talk to your boss.
 
(you do not have to disclose WHAT your disability is to her but I believe that if there is an HR department that you will have to disclose to them)

If you are requesting accommodations from your employer, they have the right to ask for proof of disability. in this case you would have to provide them with documentation of your disability and that your request is reasonable. If you are going to request accommodations, be sure you have this documentation, but go a step further and have documentation on what your therapist and doctor believe to be reasonable accommodations for you.

also read up on the "Americans with Disabilities Act" and its amendments so you have some understanding of how the law applies to you and your situation.

I am dyslexic and suffer PTSD and have had many jobs, I average about 1 per year, so I understand your situation and I wish you the best of luck regardless of what you choose to do.
 
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