OT: Please Please help

[hugabearjo]

Long Long story but, here is the just of it. I am a dental hygienist. I had carpal tunnel surgery after being required to work 50+ hours a week, for years, in a hard public heath type practice. Why I stayed I don't know. Anyway, I got MRSA and now my had is so scarred and painful that I can't practice. My employer is becoming increasingly impatient with my recovery and is even having people drive by my house and video tape my house, kids, and making noise to try to get me to come out of the house, hoping to "catch" me doing ???????? I don't even understand.

Anyway, my question today is that the workman's comp insurance company, hired an attorney's office to make a job discription. I was "involved" but, not allowed to be there when they took pictures of a hygienist and it was changed to resemble nothing of what we talked about. The only pictures they took was of someone flossing and polishing teeth. Not of the scaling of teeth removing tarter, which is my problem. If I could just floss and polish I would be great to go back to work. The job discription also says that as a hygienist we bend at the waist no more then 10 degrees, which is crazy. Sometimes, I almost stand on my head to get to reach someone who has difficult tarter to remove. It also says minimal times this is proformed most is at a nuetral position. Please, please help me. I know in an ideal world we would never bend we would remain in neutral position all day. However, I know I don't usually. I was told in school that I had one of the best postures they had seen. I know that I try to be aware of body position and try to remain neutral but, far from it in the real world. Hygiene is much more physically demanding then I ever would have realized before I practiced.

Does anyone know if I can legally refuse to sign it? I feel like I have no choices. I talked to an attorney who said in Oregon it is the worst state to get hurt in because all of it is regulated by the state law. What do you do when you are being railroaded.

Help, I don't know what to do. I am faced with losing a career I love and now this, it is so hurtful.

What do I do?

 

[tomthebarncat]

1. Don't hygienists have to be licensed in your state? if so, I would go to your credentials/licensing board and ask them for a detailed description of what you do and what it takes to be licensed.

2. I am guessing that you work for a DDS, I cannot imagine any health care professional that doesn't understand how deadly MRSA can be. I bet if it was him, this would not be an issue. Get a written statement from your Dr and provide it to him, informing him of what your diagnosis, prognosis, current condition, and estimated date of when you will be medically cleared to return to work are, make sure to keep a copy for yourself.

3. Your employer is harassing you in the attempt to catch you doing something that would invalidate your workmans comp. That is because he has to pay a portion of this. He is looking to get out of it, it is the same with unemployment benefits, many employers will lie about why an employee left just to get out of paying these taxes.

4. Report his unethical behaviour to the American Dental Association and make sure that they are aware of your medical condition and be willing to provide documention if necessary.

5. You stayed because you love your profession, and simple economics, please don't beat yourself up over it.

6. You have a profession, that is in demand, once you are completely healed and your attending physician gives you a written letter to go back to work, start looking for a new job. This jerk cannot be the only DDS in town.

7. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING THAT IS RELEVENT TO THIS SITUATION! regardless of how insignificant it may be. You never know when you will need this information. I would buy a 3 ring notebook and date and time all events, etc. If this is ever questioned you can count the pages and they will know that it has not been tampered with.

8. Keep all documentation factual keep your emotions out of it.

you can PM me if you need any other information, my ex was a DR and I am a medical social worker.

 

[tomthebarncat]

Stall as long as possible before signing anything, especially something as important at this. I would follow my suggestions and then you will have a better idea of what to do next.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

If they wanted me to sign something like that, I would tell them only if my employer signed something saying that the items in the job description were ALL you had to do. So no scaling teeth, no bending, etc.

Unreal.

You are getting some good advice here. I wish you luck. I do agree your employer is harassing you. I have heard of insurance companies using PI's to take pics of people with back injuries doing remodeling and stuff, but an employer??

I hope it all works out in your favor. I have carpal tunnel in both arms from transcription and am too scared to get the release done.