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Canada - when work harassment aggravates ms

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    Canada - when work harassment aggravates ms

    Hello,

    I have found that the workplace harassment and intimidation I am dealing with at work (because I became ill and they then started alleging performance issues) is worsening my symptoms. The anxiety is now to the point where I cannot enter that building or walk down that street, and I'm the bravest person I know! That workplace is making me sick, and I'm terrified of another flareup. I will be furious if this brings one on.

    I am familiar with human rights laws and the duty to accommodate.

    I work for a large employer with thousands of employees. It got to the point that I had to stop working to protect my health which was getting worse. I am now able to return, but I can't go back to those people. They're just awful. This is not trivial stuff, and it is discrimination on the grounds of disability. I filed a complaint a year ago, and it's just nearing the point of being scheduled for a hearing.

    I want to go back to work. I have asked to be moved to another department. My doctor concurs and wrote a very explicit note.

    The horrible part is, my current department 'owns' the duty to accommodate process - they have to decide to let me move. They're nasty black hearted people, I think because they know I need this, they'll try to disallow it, plus it makes them look bad to hr and the next place I go.

    It's a bit of a pickle to say the least.

    Has anyone encountered this? Has anyone managed to do this successfully? The ignorance I'm encountering is breathtaking, common sense and human decency are wanting. I need to be savvy about this and it's new territory.

    In many respects this has morphed into a psychosocial/mental health accommodation. I trust everyone here gets the link between negative stress and symptoms.

    ps I work for the public service.

    Trestle!

    #2
    Hi Trestle, on boy, I am VERY familiar with your situation when I was with my previous employer... another big company with thousands of employees worldwide. I would prefer not to go into all of the details on a public message board but my e-mail is in my profile, I would be happy to share my experience with you. It's quite a story!

    What they're doing to you sounds like "Constructive Dismissal", where they make it such a nightmare for you to work there that you just end up quitting when they have no grounds to fire you. This is what I was up against, I didn't even have MS then (2003), only 1 episode of ON which took longer than normal to diagnose and treat due to SARS (remember SARS?). It was very clear that fear of potential disability was guiding the company's actions. They treated me so badly (including my temp asking me to clean out my desk!!) that I had to involve a lawyer and the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

    I was a 9 year employee who never had any performance issues. I was the Executive Assistant for the General Manager of this HUGE company and never thought that I would have to go through anything like this, I consider myself fairly "boring", I hate drama in my life. In hindsight, it was all for the best as MS hit in 2005, by which time I was with my current employer.

    Your story sounds so familiar, I'm very sorry that you have to go through this while battling this disease. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail if you wish. It does have a David and Goliath kind of happy ending!

    Warm Regards,
    Jen
    RRMS 2005, Copaxone since 2007
    "I hope to be the person my dog thinks I am."

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      #3
      Thanks for your reply. I've sent an email to the address in your profile.

      I live in a small town and this is the largest and one of the only ones that can employ someone with my skills. They can fix this if they want to. I have to tough it out and force them to obey the laws at this stage, I'm too far into a corner. Can't afford to move and no other jobs here for me.

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