workplace legalities??

[lowie]

A very dear friend of mine has been fighting leukemia for as long as i've known her. she's only 27 years old. she's finally due for a stem cell transplant and goes in a few weeks.

she's works for a BIG chain retailer for years and years (almost 10 years). i'm not sure of the specifics of her benefits but something that they did sounds really fishy to me.

she went into work to purchase some items and tried to use her employee discount card and they refused it. so she went to the HR person in the store who let her know that they fired her!

can they fire her?? it seems so unfair. it's a HUGE corporation and she spent so many good years with them before getting sick.

and to not even give her to courtesy of calling her in and talking to her. makes me sick

 

[rabx5]

Did she put in for a leave of absence through the family leave act? I don't think they can fire her if she did. What a bunch of a$$es I would have her check into the whole thing. I wish her the best of luck. She does not need this kind of crap on top of what she is already going through. She will be in my prayers.

 

[Claire L]

So sorry to hear this as this is the last kind a thing she needs when fighting such an illness

I would of thought some kind of Disability Act would cover her for such an illness and the way an employer could treat her, that is certainly the case here in the UK.


Claire

 

[Claire L]

Perhaps these links may help -

Cancer and Americans with Disabilities Act

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission .

Claire

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Did she put in for a leave of absence through the family leave act? I don't think they can fire her if she did. What a bunch of a$$es I would have her check into the whole thing. I wish her the best of luck. She does not need this kind of crap on top of what she is already going through. She will be in my prayers.

She would only get 12 weeks per year anyway with that.

Not a kind move on their part as she should be notified of her termination...but if she has been fighting her illness long term, it probably does not look good for her legally as she probably doesn't meet the terms for FMLA and if she does, she probably exhausted it.

ETA: Tell her to contact her local (or as local as possible....usually big cities will have it)...Leukemia Lymphoma Society. I know our chapter in Orlando--will offer SOME financial assistance as well as other services.

 

[JikoMarie]

That is really crummy! She must work for Wal-mart. People can legally be fired without being notified, I'm pretty sure. It's not the nicest thing to do but it does happen. Also, even if one misses time for illness, without going through the proper channels, they can be fired. Not knowing this person's specific case, it's really difficult to say much.

 

[Honu]

Most employers have a cut off date of when employees that are out on disability are terminated. Most of the places I've worked it's been an automatic termination at 6 months and you could reapply if you became able to return to the workforce. The place she is having the transplant should have a social worker on staff that can help her file for disability benefits.

 

[Judy from Boise]

But, if her health insurance was through her employer, by law she has to be notified of her right to COBRA benefits.If that didn't happen she has huge grounds to be reinstated for health insurnace alone.