Fired due to no doctor's note-- it's not even their policy!

[goodgirl79]

What is the name of your state? Kansas

A few months ago, I had requested a week's worth of vacation to be taken at the end of April. A few days before my requested time off, I checked the schedule to find that I did not receive my time off. I spoke to my supervisor and was told that because we were short handed, I could not have vacation. (We have been short-handed for more than a year-- I work at a nursing home.)

So, I worked as usual. Later during the week (which I was supposed to have off), I fell ill with a very bad cold. I took off two days: Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday was my scheduled day off, and I returned to work Thursday. When I had called in on Tuesday, I was told that I would have to bring a doctor's note to return to work (even though I was only missing 2 days of work). Our policy was that a doctor's not was required if 3 days was missed, but I went ahead and visited my doc and he gave me a note.

When I returned to work, I handed the doctor's signed note stating I was fit to return back to work. I was then bullied by the HR Director that my note was not good enough, and that I would have to return to my doctor and get another signed note stating WHY I was sick. I said that I was only sick 2 days, but got a note anyway (although policy doesn't require it) and they said they were counting Wednesday, my scheduled day off, as a working day! Thus, they said I needed note stating HOW I was sick!

I thought this was too much. They had bullied me for so long, and I am hard, dedicated worker who is never sick. I did not want to pay for another doctor's appointment to get a note stating why I was sick-- I thought they were out of line. They ended up firing me, and now I feel very wronged.

I don't speak the best English (a friend is typing this) and they have constatly used this as a way to intimidate me and take advantage of me for 12 years.

Please, do I have a case here for anything??????? Is what they've done to me legal?!?!?!?

 

[Beth3]

No, they haven't done anything illegal.

I believe that you were legimately ill but the timing was poor and unfortunately, it's not uncommon for some employees to call in sick on a day they requested off but were refused. If your employer wanted a note from your doctor verifying that you were ill (not just that you could return to work), they can do that.

I did not want to pay for another doctor's appointment to get a note stating why I was sick-- I thought they were out of line. You could have called your doctor's office and ask that they fax a note to your employer stating you had a bad cold on the days in question. You wouldn't have had to go in and see the doctor again.