Administrative Separation

[Meherenow]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wisconsin

I worked as a RN at a large trauma hospital for 12 years. I caught Neuro Lyme from a tick bite and was paralyzed for months. My prognosis was unknown. It took me a year to learn how to walk using a cane, I have Transverse Myelitis from the Lyme and I cannot perform my old job.

During my rehab my employer told me over the phone that I had to return to work by the end of my Medical LOA. I explained that I was still in a wheel chair and my prognosis was not known by the doctors. My employer told me "don't worry about your job, just worry about getting well." She also told me that if it took a year to get well I could reapply for my old position. Then she sent me a certified letter stating I was given an Administrative Separation. Everything I've read about administrative separation is bad, usually given out by the military for wrong doing. I'm not in the military.

I'm trying to train for a desk job and hoping to get another job somewhere. This sounds to me like I've been fired. I've always had excellent yearly reviews and a good employment record. I've never been fired from a job. What is an Administrative Separation anyway?

 

[Proserpina]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wisconsin

I worked as a RN at a large trauma hospital for 12 years. I caught Neuro Lyme from a tick bite and was paralyzed for months. My prognosis was unknown. It took me a year to learn how to walk using a cane, I have Transverse Myelitis from the Lyme and I cannot perform my old job.

During my rehab my employer told me over the phone that I had to return to work by the end of my Medical LOA. I explained that I was still in a wheel chair and my prognosis was not known by the doctors. My employer told me "don't worry about your job, just worry about getting well." She also told me that if it took a year to get well I could reapply for my old position. Then she sent me a certified letter stating I was given an Administrative Separation. Everything I've read about administrative separation is bad, usually given out by the military for wrong doing. I'm not in the military.

I'm trying to train for a desk job and hoping to get another job somewhere. This sounds to me like I've been fired. I've always had excellent yearly reviews and a good employment record. I've never been fired from a job. What is an Administrative Separation anyway?

What happened when you asked your ex-employer? This occurred over a year ago, correct?

 

[ecmst12]

They are permitted to terminate your employment if you exhaust your FMLA. You were told that if you recover fully you could reapply for the job at that time. Since you can't do your old job, you have to look for a new one, which may or may not be at the same employer. All legal.

 

[swalsh411]

Don't get hung up on the language of what they called it.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

It sounds like they were providing you with documentation to establish you were terminated as a matter of procedure rather than wrong doing. Don't sweat it. As they said, get better, worry about a job later.

 

[Meherenow]

I understand that I cannot perform my old duties, believe me, I know it. I've been in my profession for 38 years. But I have a son-in-law who's in the Army and he said that an "Administrative Separation" was a bad thing. Then when I tried to find info it was all bad, I've never been fired or had any problems at a job before in my life, I'm 60 years old and disabled. I don't want a bad reference to complicate my chances of getting another job elsewhere. I didn't understand the lingo, never heard of it before and yes, I do have to worry about the language, getting another job is tough especially when you're my age. Thanks for the info.

 

[LdiJ]

I understand that I cannot perform my old duties, believe me, I know it. But I have a son-in-law who's in the Army and he said that an "Administrative Separation" was a bad thing. Then when I tried to find info it was all bad, I've never been fired or had any problems at a job before in my life, I'm 60 years old and disabled. I don't want a bad reference to mess up my chances of getting another job elsewhere. I just didn't understand the lingo, never heard of it before. Thanks for the info.

Your son in law is thinking in military terms rather than civilian terms. Yes, an Administrative Separation is bad in military terms. However, on the civilian side of things all it means is that they had to fire you whether they wanted to or not, and it wasn't because you did anything wrong. Please stop worrying about it. They aren't going to give you a bad reference.

 

[eerelations]

Correct. All "administrative separation" means is they had to let you go through no fault of your own.

 

[commentator]

It does not matter, and you could not do a darn thing about it anyway, no matter what they said was the reason you were terminated. But don't get so hung up on details about the past. In the situation you are in, you do not have as much to worry about as far as being re-employable as to what your past employer said about you. Regardless of what language is used, you were obviously let go for health related reasons.

But what you are going to be up against now is convincing a new employer that even at your age and in your current state of health, regardless of what it was a year or two ago that you are sincerely interested in getting back into the workforce, and that you will be willing and able to give a new employer many more productive years. So if you have some problems with getting hired again, I can almost promise it won't be because your former employer gave you an administrative separation.