Anyone else trying to adjust work hours and keep financially afloat?

[Lulu15]

Hello all. Just joined and this is the first forum i've ever joined.
Diagnosed with fibro about 3 years ago, and have tried various fibro meds, musle relaxers, P.T., and acupuncture. Nothing really helping make a difference. Still working full time, but it's taking everything out of me each day & each week. Basically get to about 5ish hours into each day and then my pain makes me want to cry and my energy 'tank' hits empty - but i push thru and then get home and collapse. Have to nap at lunch just to get to end of day, and have started icing at work too. Currently on Lyrica & Cynbalta & try to wait for otc pain pills until late eve.
I sometimes leave work early when i just can't make it, and have called out as well. Even tho job protected under my FMLA claim right now, i often have very little or no PTO, and so it's all without pay.
Not sure how much longer i can keep this up. Anyone have any info/luck with reducing work hours or disability or anything that i should look into??
Thx for listening, Lulu.

 

[sunkacola]

So sorry you are experiencing this.
What determines what you do is your financial state, and if you need this job, no matter what, to pay your bills then you are stuck with it.

The only thing you can do if you really need the job is talk to your boss/supervisor. I would make an appointment with that person and ask if you can have 15 minutes of their time so they know it's not something that will only take a moment.

Then, calmly and entirely without emotion, lay out your situation. Write it out ahead of time and practice saying it. Make sure you don't repeat yourself or get emotional. If need be, even write it out and then read it to the person. Make sure it doesn't take more than 5 minutes total. Time it. This is important because if you end up going on and on trying to make yourself more clear, the person will only tune you out anyway.

State the facts without any embellishment. Mention that you want to keep your job, or need to, or love your job, or all three, whatever is true. Offer to provide doctor's documentation if they would like to have it. Answer all their (possibly stupid) questions calmly and rationally and don't take anything they may say personally.

Ask if you can have reduced hours, knowing that you will earn less as a result, but that in this manner you can take care of yourself while keeping your job. Explain that if you can reduce your hours or days or whatever you want, you will be more present and be able to give more when you are there.

some people will understand or will take you at your word even if they don't fully understand. Some won't. You won't know until you have this talk. I wish you the very best of luck.

 

[CalgaryChris3]

Hey Lulu,
I wanted to let you know I have been where you are and eventually everything worked out. I used to be a vet tech and loved it so much. But I had to change my career due to fibro. I switched to humans and became a medical office assistant and now due to COVID I work from home. I had to cut my hours down at first but once I moved to working from the clinic to home I was able to go back to full time. I know I will have to go back some day but until that time I am really happy working from home. And my fibro and diabetes has been stable the entire time. Is this an option for you at all? Even a few hours a week? If not, I was very straight up with my employer and did just as the other reply said. I took the time to write everything down, had back up with notes from my doctor who treated my fibro and told them I could only work so many hours due to my pain level. I was lucky and the company was really good to me and hung in there until I was strong enough to go back full time. I hope this helps a little with how things go between you and your job. Gentle hugs and prayers to you in this crazy and difficult time. Chris

 

[djhsix]

Not sure how much longer i can keep this up. Anyone have any info/luck with reducing work hours or disability or anything that i should look into??
Thx for listening, Lulu.

I reduced my hours down to 32 per week in January of this year. Four 8s at the moment, but I'm thinking of switching it to five 6.5s. I think the shorter days will be easier for me. Plus it'll give me time each day for self care. My therapist signed the paperwork for FMLA. All of the tracking at work is a pain, but I'm not sure I want to ask for a permanent reduction in hours even though I'm fairly certain I won't be going back to 40 hours/week.