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What type of jobs do people have?

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Posted 10/26/2010 6:55 PM (GMT 0)
What does everyone do for work? Just curious what types of jobs people on here have.

I was a Customer Service Supervisor for a Contact Lens MFG and was fired in May 2009 for being out sick too much. Now I am looking for a job and I'm being very picky. Can't have a job were I need someone to cover me if I need to use the restroom that would get old way too fast. So just curious what people do. Not looking forward to working again have had a hard time dealing with this and do not want to get fired from a job again. I had perfect attendance in 2005 & 2006 and it hurt to have to call in all the time I liked using my PTO for trips not for actually being sick.

Posted 10/26/2010 7:26 PM (GMT 0)
Desk job in a large org. No one cares if I step away for a few minutes. I can take sick leave as needed (but more than 3 days in a row needs a doctor's note). I've been here for 25+ years so seniority helps.
Posted 10/26/2010 7:31 PM (GMT 0)
Desk job in large financial firm. Its the same for me as Kazbern, I can step away without needing any back up either. I have been with my company over 20 years and my sick time is the same as Kazbern's also. Hugs~
Posted 10/26/2010 7:40 PM (GMT 0)
Before I quit, I worked in retail. Awful place to work and be sick. Now I'm a sahm and love that much much better. More rewarding :)
Posted 10/26/2010 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
I'm the only certified athletic trainer for a small liberal arts college in Arkansas. If I'm out of the office, then no one can really get much in the way of rehabilitation/treatment other than a hot pack or ice bag. I'm fortunate to have an understanding athletic director who does everything he can to help the other coaches realize that I have a chronic disease and lots of medical appointments. My sick time is similar to both of the previous. A day or two is ok without a doctor note, but after that I have to get a doctor to explain why I was out.
Posted 10/26/2010 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
run a large line of business at a national financial firm. Must travel a lot-coast to coast travel which is tough. have a team of over 85 with 8 direct reports. these are the best. they are always helping me and making sure i rest and go home when not feeling well. I am on my second short term disability in 2010, both having up to 7 weeks full pay, which is very nice. The job stress is not good for me and my doctor wants me to change professions, but i have kids in school still.
Posted 10/26/2010 8:20 PM (GMT 0)
Project manager at a mid-sized ad/marketing agency. So far, they've been understanding (out several days for tests) but I've not been really sick and this is my first flare while here. No problem running to restroom every hour if necessary.
Posted 10/26/2010 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
I'm a Registered Nurse in a large urban hospital. I work Labor, Delivery and High Risk Pregnancy. I luckily have FMLA and use it if I'm sick. I work 12 hr shifts often with no break, so it certainly wears on my body and when I'm already fatigued it makes it hard. Sometimes it's hard to run to the bathroom, but I can rely on my coworkers to watch over my patients for a few minutes if I have to run quick to the restroom.
Posted 10/26/2010 9:51 PM (GMT 0)
I was a showroom manager/sales manager for 21 years. We were only open one day a week, so other than that one day, I could make my own hours. I only worked part time anyway because I am a mom and that was my main focus. I never had any problem leaving to run to the bathroom if I needed to and my boss had no problem if I wanted to take work home because I wasn't feeling well. It really was a great situation. But like a lot of jobs the economy hurt our industry. Now I work babysitting for a friend 2 days a week and I love it even more!
Posted 10/26/2010 10:15 PM (GMT 0)
I"m an xray technologist, but currently I'm delivering pizza while looking for a job in xray. (I lost my job due to being sick...long story but they "found" something to fire me over because I was sick a lot and missing work).
Posted 10/26/2010 10:54 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all your responses! I'm only 25 and I want a real job again with 401k, 40 hours a week, good health insurance, etc. So it's nice to see people can work normal jobs still. I think my problem before was the company I was with. Even being the Supervisor I would be questioned for how long and how often I would get up to use the restroom. It was nuts. I almost quit a few times but they got to me before I could.

Becky- Sorry to hear that. Not fun being out of work and missing a lot and knowing you are but even worse when you get punished for being out and basically losing your job.
Posted 10/26/2010 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
I am a social worker but mostly work from my own office, most of my client contact is by telephone. I have been there 5 years and have benefits such as sick leave, and long term disability if needed, a lot like those who wrote above. I am adjusting to the being sick/working issue now as this is my first flare of my working life... i just started back at 2 hrs a day, easing into work, after a 5 week absence. It was a sudden and unexpected departure from work for me and the people around me seem to be very understanding. My worry is if this new treatment doesnt work, and I need to go off work again, will that understanding continue? It is tough and I am so shocked that both you and Becky, who posted above, lost your jobs due to the illness... isn't that something you can report to human rights? It seems illegal to me and so very scarey.

B
Posted 10/26/2010 11:13 PM (GMT 0)
I'm a hotel housekeeper...which isn't the BEST, but it works fine for me----clean rooms with bathrooms so easy access, work alone most of day with minimal supervision to be bothered by and all....it's hard work but it's good exercise. Though I am off for a couple months right now recovering from a resection.
Posted 10/26/2010 11:16 PM (GMT 0)
I work at a bank. I used to be Manager but with all the stress it kept flaring up my disease so I took a teller post instead :) Much happier!!
Posted 10/26/2010 11:29 PM (GMT 0)
I am a 4th grade teacher at a small private school. My sister-in-law works there too so she will cover for me in an emergency. She is very discrete which makes it much less stressful. She has MS so we take turns watching each other's class if we need to leave early for an appointment or testing. It is an ideal situation right now. I absolutely love my students and would be extremely upset if I had to quit.
Elizabeth
Posted 10/26/2010 11:35 PM (GMT 0)
I lost my job due to a technicality. I got sick and was vomiting, and left early. My boss was out of town and the person in charge had left for the day. I called once I got home (to the person in charge) but when I came to work the next day was written up for not calling prior to leaving work. It was their BS way to get rid of me, as I had been sick and was protected by FMLA laws. There was nothing I could do about it. Georgia is one of the states where you can be fired legally without reason anyway, but the hospital I worked at made sure there was a reason before forcing me to resign.
Posted 10/27/2010 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
I was almost fired on a few occasions, but at the time I was pregnant so they couldn't fire me and they knew it. Afterwards whenever I'd call in sick I would help find coverage for me (I answered phones for the store) so it's not like it was awful work like cashiering. I sat at a computer all day. :) They'd always call me into the HR office and have a sit down talk about my sick calls (we're talking once or twice a month) and how my health is important to them but yet they need people to work for them and they could find someone else and fire me, but we're not giving you a write up or threatening you or anything like that, your health is very important and we want you to get better. Such bull, I was harrassed for it. anyways, we're an at-will state which sucks...
Posted 10/27/2010 12:20 AM (GMT 0)
Becktoria- Yes, what they did was illegal 100% and I could sue they for what they did but that won't accomplish anything. If I did sue them it wouldn't be for money it would only be to have them brought to court and see what they've done. My cousin who's a lawyer in Bermuda actually told me a few days after I got fired to call them and ask them who the contact person should be between my lawyer and the company and what fax number to fax anything to. She said that some places will freak out and admit they were in the wrong and hire people back or just pay them hush hush money. She said as a "cousin" she told me to do that but not as a "lawyer".... but never did that. Just didn't see the point in causing any trouble. You do have 8 years to sue someone so I could always change my mind but it's just not worth the effort.

I started there in Aug 2004 as a Customer Service Rep, I made my way up the chain to Lead and then Supervisor. I got awards for perfect attendance and for just being a good employee. The Director of the company in my Dept was an Angel. We keep in touch still. She worked with me did anything she had to do to keep me there. If I was out 3 or more days I did need a Dr note which was no problem getting at all. I stepped down as Supervisor since I was out way too much. Just went to a regular rep again and they hired a new Supervisor who I interviewed and the director. I didn't like her at all but the director said we needed someone just hired her. She caused tons of problems and would jump over the director to HR, CEO, etc and complain about me being out and getting special attention. Which wasn't true at all. She knew of my problem and was working with me to do what she could to keep my job like you're supposed to. She looked into FMLA and I signed up the Dr filled it all out and said you'll get approved no problem. The company told me it would take about 2 months to have it done and while they were going over it I was not allowed to work. So I was out of work for 2 months unpaid. So 2 months later get a call from HR saying it was denied because I already used my FMLA! Which was bogus because they told me I had to stay out. So I was so upset and crying hung up with HR/Director who was listening. The Director called me back to make sure I was ok because she knew I was upset and didn't understand how that happened and I got denied. She was looking into it more well turns out it was illegal to do that and Gail in HR was fired. 9 months later they "fired" the Director of CS but they said elminated her posistion. She was there 18 years!! 3 weeks after she was "fired" I was "fired" as the director wasn't there to protect me! She did say if I ever go to court she would be a witness that they were out to get me and they did everything illegal. I guess I wasn't the 1st person they mistreated for having a medical condition from what I've been told. So that's my crazy story! Probably not as bad as others.


Beck- That's bull crap!! Have you ever thought about doing anything or looking into it more or just not worth it? Amazing how companies can treat people and get away with it.
Posted 10/27/2010 12:46 AM (GMT 0)
I was horse jockey for 18 years and had to hide it the whole time, i evan had a resection without anybody finding out during one of my off season years, i rode in alberta canada the last 6-7 years, so races would end in november, i had one of my resections the day after races ended, that was tough. I also had to diet the whole time that I rode, it ended up being ok for me because I was always watching was I was eating, counting calories, so you're really careful on what you're eating. then retired from that and now I do artwork and on disability
Posted 10/27/2010 1:46 AM (GMT 0)
wow- thanks for everyone sharing their stories... time will tell for me! i am in canada so i am not familiar with different state rules or fmla... it just seems so unfair! ugh... but there r a number of good stories too of people in longterm work positions so there is hope for those of us who want to go back to/stay at work...

B
Posted 10/27/2010 2:55 AM (GMT 0)
artist guy, that must have been a cool job. I used to watch the show Jockeys on Animal Planet. That must have been a very hard and stressful job on you not only the mind but also body. Must have also been lots of fun at the same time. Long seasons and to have to hide it and then do surgeries etc on the off season. Must be glad to be retired. Still a neat job! Doing artwork must be fun and relaxing at the same time at least less stressful then a Jokey!

I agree Becktoria it's nice to see that there is some hope out there for us! Would love to get a new job and stay there until I can retire.
Posted 10/27/2010 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
Desk job. I had to borrow sick leave this year.
Posted 10/27/2010 3:41 AM (GMT 0)
I work for a Canadian airline..though I have been on disability for awhile now. Good benefits, health coverage, short and long term disability, dental, pension, etc. I used to work on files so it was perfect because I was off the phone so I could come and go to the bathroom as often as I pleased, and was low stress. Now because they changed things, I am a phone agent so not so good with a CD emergency.. company's policy is it;s okay for me to excuse myself and put the customer on hold for however long it takes me to go to the bathroom.. just so they don't have to pull me from the phones :( I find it hard with the extreme exhaustion and the fistulas.. so painful that by the end of my shift I am D.O.N.E and more tired than 1st trimester pregnancy (the girls will know what I mean)...
Posted 10/27/2010 3:43 AM (GMT 0)
I'm a Chocolatier, which basically means I make chocolates, truffles, fudge ect ect.  I stand on my feet all day though so it takes a toll on my body.

Luckily I'm in a union so I can take as many sick days as needed and they can't get rid of me haha, I also have group health insurance with no lifetime limit, so 90% of my medical bills are paid.

Posted 10/27/2010 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
I am a social worker too - and am often in the office so that helps - but every day at least once a day I go out in the community to visit people in their homes - and of course, I am not supposed to use their bathrooms (especially because a lot of the people I am visiting with are sick). I always stop drinking coffee / eating well before I go out to try to avoid any issues! So far, so good (knock on wood). I am distressed to hear how many people have been fired /discriminated against at work!! I have felt frustrated this fall b/c I had to take time off for a colonoscopy, and various other appts. I am a casual employee - it helps because I don't have to work full time, but it makes it really hard to take any time off for appts if I have taken a shift because I don't have sick time and can't make the time up - and I hate having to say "I have a doctors appt" so often - I feel like they may never want to hire me as a permanent employee!
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