Hi all,
I was off work for over a year (certified sick leave due to Burnout (the first few weeks) and PTSD). About a month ago, I have started going back to work. However, this is a certain work plan financially supported by my health insurance. It is supposed to help someone who's been off work sick for a long time to return slowly. In the first month (of three), I will or rather have been working 2 hours a day, in the second month, I will be working 3 hours a day and in the third month I'll be working 4 hours per day. After that, I will be back to regular working hours (in my case 4 hours a day (before I was on certified sick leave for so long, I had a full-time position though, so this has been changed now).
Also, owing to my disability status, I have official support from an organization specialized in people returning to work after a long time away for illness. The lady and I had a (second) meeting today with my boss. During the meeting, my boss expressed support to help me get back into my job with necessary changes being made. She expressed some understanding for my position (returning as an employee with a disability) and at first, things seemed fine (better than during the first meeting we had with her and other representatives of my employer's). Then, when the person officially supporting me had left, my boss asked me to talk to me again and said to me that we would have to take things slowly and the necessary changes to the job itself need to be taken step by step. Which is quite the opposite to what was said in the meeting! My boss has expressed before that she does not think I will be able to keep on working in her unit. Then, though, she was told by my employer (my boss is not the employer) that she needed to make changes because it's my country's law for people with a disability status. I do know, from out of her own mouth, that she wants to support me so I can find another job within the company... Obviously, there are two messages "hidden" in that sentence... :cautious:
Anyway, because she sends different messages and has made clear to me what she would definitely prefer me gone (owing to my country's law, it is difficult to fire someone with a disability status, phew), and especially after the meeting today, I have started seriously considering retiring. I have already requested a part-time pension (possible in my country, if you can't work full-time owing to illness), so it would be easy to extend that request. I do want to work though as my pension is below the poverty line in my country. If I keep working part-time I'd have enough for everyday expenses (food, hygiene stuff, medicine, public transport). If not, I would not be able to cover my medical expenses (not even with additional financial support paid to those not above the poverty line).
I am also just so tired of fighting. Of seemingly fighting for a job my boss does not want me in anyway (not anymore, since I have changed from robot to human). It seems to me, my boss just keeps it difficult for me to return and keeps saying this change or that change won't work because X, Y, Z. No real reasons... So, I seem to be fighting for something that, sooner or later, she will kick me out of anyway (there are ways, however, it's a tough road for an employer to take, yet, it can be taken and at the end of the day, there will be nothing I can do).
I'd appreciate any supportive thoughts on this.
Thank you for reading.
I was off work for over a year (certified sick leave due to Burnout (the first few weeks) and PTSD). About a month ago, I have started going back to work. However, this is a certain work plan financially supported by my health insurance. It is supposed to help someone who's been off work sick for a long time to return slowly. In the first month (of three), I will or rather have been working 2 hours a day, in the second month, I will be working 3 hours a day and in the third month I'll be working 4 hours per day. After that, I will be back to regular working hours (in my case 4 hours a day (before I was on certified sick leave for so long, I had a full-time position though, so this has been changed now).
Also, owing to my disability status, I have official support from an organization specialized in people returning to work after a long time away for illness. The lady and I had a (second) meeting today with my boss. During the meeting, my boss expressed support to help me get back into my job with necessary changes being made. She expressed some understanding for my position (returning as an employee with a disability) and at first, things seemed fine (better than during the first meeting we had with her and other representatives of my employer's). Then, when the person officially supporting me had left, my boss asked me to talk to me again and said to me that we would have to take things slowly and the necessary changes to the job itself need to be taken step by step. Which is quite the opposite to what was said in the meeting! My boss has expressed before that she does not think I will be able to keep on working in her unit. Then, though, she was told by my employer (my boss is not the employer) that she needed to make changes because it's my country's law for people with a disability status. I do know, from out of her own mouth, that she wants to support me so I can find another job within the company... Obviously, there are two messages "hidden" in that sentence... :cautious:
Anyway, because she sends different messages and has made clear to me what she would definitely prefer me gone (owing to my country's law, it is difficult to fire someone with a disability status, phew), and especially after the meeting today, I have started seriously considering retiring. I have already requested a part-time pension (possible in my country, if you can't work full-time owing to illness), so it would be easy to extend that request. I do want to work though as my pension is below the poverty line in my country. If I keep working part-time I'd have enough for everyday expenses (food, hygiene stuff, medicine, public transport). If not, I would not be able to cover my medical expenses (not even with additional financial support paid to those not above the poverty line).
I am also just so tired of fighting. Of seemingly fighting for a job my boss does not want me in anyway (not anymore, since I have changed from robot to human). It seems to me, my boss just keeps it difficult for me to return and keeps saying this change or that change won't work because X, Y, Z. No real reasons... So, I seem to be fighting for something that, sooner or later, she will kick me out of anyway (there are ways, however, it's a tough road for an employer to take, yet, it can be taken and at the end of the day, there will be nothing I can do).
I'd appreciate any supportive thoughts on this.
Thank you for reading.
Last edited by a moderator:
