No humanity allowed in the workplace!

[705red]

Several weeks back we had an employee that was brought in the office for attendance. This employee is a part time auditor on the twilight shift. During the conversation he explained that he has called in here and there because he has cancer and is going through treatments. The treatments take a toll on his body and if he could come to work he would.

He was explained his rights under FMLA which he would now apply for. But before he left the office he was placed on notice of suspension for his attendance.

A little over a week later while he was still waiting for his FMLA to get approved he called in again because he was not up to coming in to work after his treatments. He was now placed on notice of termination for his attendance.

This supervisor already knew that he is sick. She already knew that he has applied for the FMLA. She knew that he is fighting for his life but obviously does not care.

I tried my best to inform him that he has nothing to worry about that we would not allow him to lose his job because hes sick with cancer and that the treatments he was goiing through made him to sick to come to work.

This employee has over 5 years in as a part timer and has never had any talk withs for anything!

This is why I do what I do! This has been eating me up the last few days because this employees heart gave out and he died. He died thinking that the company he worked for wants to fire him because he was sick.

When someone is sick we band together to show support and help them through the tough times. Crap even ups hits us up for United way donations yearly. But they can not show an employee a little respect during these times?

I have a baptism to go to today and I can assure you that I will be praying hard for karma to come back around on this sup!

 

[UnconTROLLed]

This is sad to hear

BUT,

If his attendance is poor, why would UPS want someone that can't commit to their job?

This person should be laid off, and offered work when they can commit to a regular work schedule without missing time. Which is the equiv of FMLA time out, no? I disagree with discipline or termination, obviously, under the circumstances.

 

[bubsdad]

Sounds like his supe is pretty heartless. Guy I work with has fibromyalga and whenever he's in too much pain or too wore out he salls his supe and the supe gives him an ro. If the volume is truly down and we're so overstaffed why couldn't your guy's situation have been handled like that? Maybe the supe had it in for him or is just incapable of any compassion.

 

[toonertoo]

Very sad to hear, but I will say I hope this is not commonplace.
Especially with people laid off etc, Im sure that he would not have been missed quite so much in his work area, but Im sure he will be missed by his fellow workers, and you. Thanks for trying to help a person in a desperate situation. Karma will come back to you. Ive seen it.

 

[leastbest]

My sister was dying back in 1998, she had a brain tumor. I was working eleven hour days and I went to my boss after peak and told him we had just put her into hospice. I asked for a lighter day (9 to 9.5) one day a week at his discretion and he looked at me and said, "No can do, we have a business to run. You can't bring your personal problems to work."

She died five weeks later.

 

[Catatonic]

Several weeks back we had an employee that was brought in the office for attendance. This employee is a part time auditor on the twilight shift. During the conversation he explained that he has called in here and there because he has cancer and is going through treatments. The treatments take a toll on his body and if he could come to work he would.

He was explained his rights under FMLA which he would now apply for. But before he left the office he was placed on notice of suspension for his attendance.

A little over a week later while he was still waiting for his FMLA to get approved he called in again because he was not up to coming in to work after his treatments. He was now placed on notice of termination for his attendance.

This supervisor already knew that he is sick. She already knew that he has applied for the FMLA. She knew that he is fighting for his life but obviously does not care.

I tried my best to inform him that he has nothing to worry about that we would not allow him to lose his job because hes sick with cancer and that the treatments he was going through made him to sick to come to work.

This employee has over 5 years in as a part timer and has never had any talk withs for anything!

This is why I do what I do! This has been eating me up the last few days because this employees heart gave out and he died. He died thinking that the company he worked for wants to fire him because he was sick.

Unfortunately, this is the nature of being a union represented employee.

I had union employees reporting to me for over 15 years and you had to be very careful in setting precedence by being compassionate to an employee because the union would come back later and say you did for this employee A ... why not for employee B.

Personally, I would find a way to take care of the person - union represented or not..

I've had non-union employees reporting to the last 16 years and it is much easier to use your judgment in "taking" care of employee needs.

 

[upandcomer]

This is sad to hear

BUT,

If his attendance is poor, why would UPS want someone that can't commit to their job?

This person should be laid off, and offered work when they can commit to a regular work schedule without missing time. Which is the equiv of FMLA time out, no? I disagree with discipline or termination, obviously, under the circumstances.

UPS would want someone that can't commit because it is the law. As soon as attendance became an issue, and he explained the situation they are required to inform about FMLA. Which it appears they did, but the person can not be laid off due to a serious medical condition once the employee has notified the employer of said condition, the employer must wait to see if the FMLA clears.

Lastly, FMLA can be taken as a consecutive 12 weeks or as needed. As long as somebody has received treatment for a "serious medical illness" two times in the last 12 months the employee would have been eligible for FMLA as needed, so the random call-ins would have been okay.

In the end it looks bad for the company, and it makes us appear that we have no heart. A Supervisor in my area would be reassigned or moved so fast if they treated an employee the way this one was. My building has no tolerence for people like that.

 

[Jim Kemp]

My wife's father was dying with cancer a few years ago and was bed ridden for many months before he died.
His wife was able to stay with him the last few months full time because of a program where she worked that let employees from all over the country donate one of their sick days or a vacation day to her in her time of need. These were people she didn't even know and she came through it without any lost time or pay.
I have often thought it would be great if we could do this at UPS for our co-workers. I would gladly give up a option day for a fellow employee in need.
But we work for UPS and I don't think they would ever go for it. After all "We have a business to run" we don't have time to care for sick people. Unless of course it is united way and we get news coverage so the outside world can see what a "GREAT" company we work for.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Prison guards in New York are allowed to and often will donate sick and/or personal time for the same reason(s). I would also have no problem donating one or two personal days.

 

[Catatonic]

I have often thought it would be great if we could do this at UPS for our co-workers. I would gladly give up a option day for a fellow employee in need.
But we work for UPS and I don't think they would ever go for it. After all "We have a business to run" we don't have time to care for sick people. Unless of course it is united way and we get news coverage so the outside world can see what a "GREAT" company we work for.

UPS or the Union?
We actually have done this for non-union employees.

 

[tieguy]

UPS would want someone that can't commit because it is the law. As soon as attendance became an issue, and he explained the situation they are required to inform about FMLA. Which it appears they did, but the person can not be laid off due to a serious medical condition once the employee has notified the employer of said condition, the employer must wait to see if the FMLA clears.

Lastly, FMLA can be taken as a consecutive 12 weeks or as needed. As long as somebody has received treatment for a "serious medical illness" two times in the last 12 months the employee would have been eligible for FMLA as needed, so the random call-ins would have been okay.

In the end it looks bad for the company, and it makes us appear that we have no heart. A Supervisor in my area would be reassigned or moved so fast if they treated an employee the way this one was. My building has no tolerence for people like that.

I think our company agrees as a whole . I can't explain or defend individual acts of stupidity and I won't. If this sup is giving discipline to a documented cancer case then the employee needs to bump it up to the sups boss and higher if needed.

 

[leastbest]

I think our company agrees as a whole . I can't explain or defend individual acts of stupidity and I won't. If this sup is giving discipline to a documented cancer case then the employee needs to bump it up to the sups boss and higher if needed.

I think you are wrong. There is a culture at this company of disrespect and lack of caring. At first I thought it was individual supervisors and managers but I was wrong. They have all the platitudes of 'balancing work and home life' etc but instead have unrealistic production goals and anyone who doesn't meet it is considered a thief.

 

[Catatonic]

I think you are wrong. There is a culture at this company of disrespect and lack of caring. At first I thought it was individual supervisors and managers but I was wrong. They have all the platitudes of 'balancing work and home life' etc but instead have unrealistic production goals and anyone who doesn't meet it is considered a thief.

Well at least you have an opinion and it's consistent.
A lot to be said for that.

 

[leastbest]

It's an opinion formed by 35 years of experience. I wish it weren't so.

 

[helenofcalifornia]

Not exactley with the same level of indifference, but I am witnessing at work a good driver being harrassed, hounded and written up for wanting 9.5's. Good productive driver, just wants to work less than 10-10 1/2 hours a day. It's not like there are tons of us filing 9.5s. Hoax, I completely understand what you are saying, it's just that I am holding on to the kinder, less number-orientated UPS of the past and don't understand why both sides can't meet in the middle.l

 

[Catatonic]

Hoax, I completely understand what you are saying, it's just that I am holding on to the kinder, less number-orientated UPS of the past ...

We all see the difference ... I call it United Parcel Service versus UPS.
I still answer my phone United Parcel Service ... holding on to yesterdays.

 

[anonymous6]

I'm sorry to hear about this but not at all surprised.

This company basically died when it went public.

Maybe the family should of scheduled the funeral during his regular working hrs and you could of organized the whole sort to attend it.
TWIWD

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Its a shame that a cancer patient is pursued for discipline but others who miss work simply because they don't want to come aren't.

 

[drewed]

Its a sad case, but why didnt he push the fmla issue from the get go? That wouldnt have given the sups any wiggle room if what they could do, if he didnt have fmla as hoke said you have to hold everyone to the same standard or you create a workplace of you did this and this for so and so but wont for me.....

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Its a sad case, but why didnt he push the fmla issue from the get go? That wouldnt have given the sups any wiggle room if what they could do, if he didnt have fmla as hoke said you have to hold everyone to the same standard or you create a workplace of you did this and this for so and so but wont for me.....

Packages first, then people.

I can actually recall a UPS where people used to come first.