Scooby was given his 30 days notice by fucking Home Depot earlier this month. He's basically being fired because he's HIV poz or in truth because the side effects of his meds leaves him with chronic nausea, diarrhea and vomiting which limits him from being able to work the crazy schedule that they enforce on their workers. Isn't that just great. He's been there for about 10 yrs.. Fuckers Fuckers Fuckers....
Things have really changed there and none of its for the good. He was fired years ago right after he became poz and started having problems with the meds and side effects. But back then Human Resources still had some say in how things are done and they not only rehired him but they demoted the manager that fired him. Well then the founders of Home Depot retired and hired an accountant to run their organization. (Bad Idea considering that accountants care about money, not people) That's when the trouble really started. Opening more stores and only running them on skeleton crews. (One person per dept.)
Then the head honcho sent out a memo a year or so ago saying, "No set schedules", in other words we don't care if your health problems interfere, you will work when you're told to work." There is no way Scooby could work first thing in the morning, cuz that's when he is at his sickest from the time he gets up till about noon. So management then gave him an ultimatum, that he could work the hours of his choice if he were to go from full time to part time and of course this means giving up his health insurance. Gee, how convenient for them. Scooby unfortunately had to agree and go to part time and loose his health ins.. Now management is saying that he has to work whenever they schedule him even if he is part time and they're trying to schedule him at 8am again. (knowing good and well) that he can't make it in that early) They say either work the hours we schedule or he's fired. Its a big set up, they schedule him for times they know he can't work so then when he calls in sick they have just cause to fire him. Fuckers
Last November and December they just quit scheduling him. There excuse was that no part time people were working because it was the slow time, even though Scooby had seniority over everyone in the store including management. Finally he went back to work, but then they did the same thing in July. They called him once and asked him to work a morning and considering how sick he is in the morning he had to decline. This fuckin shit happens everytime a new manager comes to the store (which is quite often). Scoobys agreed to try and work all scheduled hours to try and please his Nazi boss, at least until his vacation is due, which is soon. Then I wouldn't blame him if he quit, their making him miserable which is definately not good for his health.
We are so fucked though, there are no other jobs around here. If he were to get fired trying to get unemployment in Michigan is next to impossible, since its all done by an automated phone system. (No real people) You can sit for hours pushing buttons and it will get you no where, other than round and round in a vicious annoying circle. But I'm sure he can get some handyman work so that will help him out.
This is just making me sick to my stomach. When I was a teen gay boy I had dreams that once I was an adult and had a boyfriend that we would be able to travel and see the world. I just figured with two incomes and no kids, that we'd have the money to do practically anything. Well like Julia Sweenie said, "God said, Ha"...
4 comments:
Mouse, I'm absolutely appalled by this. Are they allowed to do this? Legally, I mean? Over in th UK we have an act called the Disability Discrimination Act which in the process of amendment. Part of the reasons for the amendments are to give those of us with 'unseen' disabilities, such as cancer and HIV, equvalent legal rights to those with main stream physical disabilities. I don't know how the support agencies operate in your part of the world, but I seriously would approach them.
When I told my Section Manager about my status I was basically thanked for being open about it, told to keep the corporation informed about my condition, and that if in the future it wasn't possible to fulfil the duties of my current role that they would either re-assess the role to make it something I could do, or find me something else within my skill set in the corporation. It was made quite clear to me that they couldn't and wouldn't dismiss me because of my status.
I hope there is some way that this can be sorted out.
I don't know how they are getting away with this either. Everytime they get a new manager, Scoobys records on his health issues mysteriously disappear. Then to get back at him (for trying to get a set schedule) they only schedule him 4 hrs a week, if that.
They've been doing this to him for years and he's tired of fighting and working in an abusive work place. If they don't fire him, I'm pretty sure that he's going to quit. Unfortunatly I don't think he has anything documentating the their abuse (the threats have been all verbal).
Thanks for the info. I need to look into this better and see if he has any legal recourse.
I'm finding that the US has a very black and white view on this, either your disabled or your not. People who are disabled are protected from discrimination in the workplace. People who are sick because of HIV meds or cancer treatments ect. are not protected because they are not considered disabled by the Government. It all depends on the employer as to on how your treated.
I have a friend who has been very sick for the last couple of years and has been fighting with the Government to be considered disabled. After years of battle the Government has finally excepted him as disabled now that he is down to 85 pounds and has probably only a year left.
Thanks for the link and the advice Daveyboy. My bf has had it with Home Depot and I'm pretty sure that he is planning on quitting in the near future.
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