Disability Insurance at my Job-Help Rich!

[brianm]

Hello Rich I need your help. My situation is this...I work for a fortune 500 company that has really good benefits. I have a diagnosis of M.S. since 2005. It has increased lately with mostly cognitive and processing difficulties. I have a very stressfull job and it may be adding to my increasing symptoms.

Here are the questions.......I have a slight chance of getting fired for making so many mistakes and not remembering anything. My performance is below average compared to my co-workers. I signed up for disability insurance and paid for the additional 10% of my pay. It comes out to 60%. If I get fired do I lose that? Should I consider going on short term disability so it would protect me from getting fired?

Knowbody knows of my diagnosis and I dont want to get fired but it could happen. I have seen my Neuro a few times recently and he would support me if I needed him. Also if I am not able to perform my job they should try to find me another position less stressfull right? This company has 250,000 employees you would think that they would rather give me a different job rather than paying me disability. Please advise Brian

** Moderator's note - Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **

[jcrain9663]

Brian,

There comes a time when disclosing is in your best interest. It sounds to me like you might be getting there.

Doing nothing is not a good option, IMHO, since you indicate others are already that you are not performing up to par. As I see it, you have two options.

1. Transfer to another job that is less stressful
2. Disclose your MS AFTER filing an FMLA document with your employer.

The danger with #1 is that a new job carries a whole lot of stress on its own, and depending on your company, may entail a probationary period during which you can be fired without cause. Also, a reduction in stress may not improve your symptoms. Mine improved a bit once I quit working, but not as much as I hoped.

#2 may have no downside once you have an FMLA in place. You don't have to use FMLA if you don't need to, you just have to submit a new document every year. I had an FMLA in place before I went out on disability. By doing so, I was able to take 12 weeks of FMLA, THEN used my sick leave, which meant I got six months at full pay in which to save and plan for a reduced income.

My experience was such that I have no regret about disclosing. I remained at work for several more years until I realized that even with accommodations I wasn't holding up my end of things at work, and was basically making myself worse by trying to keep working. I couldn't handle that, so I went out on leave. I don't regret it at all.

I hope my experience gives you food for thought. Rich will be by sooner or later to give his legal advice.