I work for a bank and since I have been at home my job performance have not been up too par. Was justawondering if anyone else experience something like this. My manager told me this yesterday that i was being place on corrective action which means if I do not bring up my performance I might be lossing my job which means lossing my insurance. I do haVE long term disability at work iI could us. but I love my job, any advice would be welcomed.
You message makes me curious to know more specifics about your home treatment and about your evaluation of the problems with your job.
Does your employer know that you have kidney failure and do home dialysis? Have you asked for any kind of changes on your job to help you do it better, i.e. an extra break, a chair if you’re a teller, etc. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to make reaasonable (usually translates to low cost) accommodations for people with disabilities if they ask for them. They’re not required to offer any accommodation if someone doesn’t ask for it. Kidney failure is a disability. Also, the ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against someone with a disability so if you don’t believe that your performance has been slipping, you might want to talk with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission.
http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/disability/ada.htm
What type of work do you do for the bank? Does your job require you to be on your feet all day? Is your job one requiring more brain than brawn? Think about what accommodations (workplace changes) might improve your performance. How were evaluations of your job performance before you started on dialysis? If your job performance is worse since you started home hemo because of symptoms, have you talked with your nurse and doctor to ask them to look over your medications, labs, and treatment flow sheets to see what changes can be made in your medications and/or treatment prescription? Sometimes changes in medications and treatment prescription can make a world of difference in how people feel and their ability to work. It also helps if you eat nutritiously (low protein levels reduce energy levels and thinking capacity) and exercise to keep your body in good physical condition.
Finally, how long had you worked at the bank before you started on dialysis? Have you been on home hemo the whole time you have been on dialysis? If you’re new to dialysis, you might want to think about taking a brief leave of absence to get adjusted to it and to get your mind and body ready to work rather than risking your job by performing badly. If your bank has at least 50 employees within 75 miles and if you’ve worked there at least a year and 1250 hours in that year, you’re protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act. This law allows people to take up to 12 weeks off in full weeks, days, or even hours.
http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/benefits-leave/fmla.htm
One goal of home hemo is to allow people who are working to continue to work if they’re physically and emotionally able. Your doctor and clinic can be resources to you and to your employer (with your permission) to help you do just that.
Here are some resources that may help:
– Employment: A Kidney Patient’s Guide to Working and Paying for Treatment (includes a sample letter to an employer)
– Employer’s Guide
http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozItem.cfm?id=58
– Working with Kidney Disease: Rehabilitation and Employment
http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozItem.cfm?id=119