WHAT!!!!!

I recently had to get a small portion of fmla very short term and I will never use it again, Let me tell you it was a SHITY process!!!! I didn’t get it, well I "GOT IT"….The “specialist” (oh they were special…a special asshole) was just wicked rude and very UN HELPFUL!!! I didn’t understand the process and the week off I had wasn’t a vacation I was in serious pain so what was on my mind…. “Call the FMLA special person of course” lol not really…. So the special person called me and reamed me out......that was my experience, First time user of FMLA never used it before and I get reamed out???? Now the ironic part of all this is, there are multiple people I know who use FMLA, people I work with, remember NO names, lets refer to them as the “abusers” and honestly if they knew who I was and they read this they would absolutely know who they were…pretty sad huh???

I work with a few abusers who blatantly and obviously are abusing FMLA. Probably 98% are the result of appalling number of absences, always played up as headaches, asthma, or a family emergency or a death in the family; oh I stubbed my toe….I NEED FMLA!!! NOW!!!! For at least 6 weeks while I heal and I need to go to rehab to bend it properly again. On multiple occasions, I was certain that the abusers had finally cooked themselves, however the company only saw to give the abusers one reprieve after another. One abuser recently qualified for FMLA status and I am told that now nothing can be done to get rid of them or to curb their pathetic poor job performance. They consistently can’t perform their job duties up to par, takes extended breaks, talks and texts non-stop on the phone, surfs the internet the whole time at work, tries to get out of their work even though it is a very quiet work environment, and the company continues to look the other way, regardless of all the complaints of co-workers, all in the interest of FMLA protection????? These actions are only hurting people who honestly need the protection FMLA offers, the people who BUST their asses picking up, working overtime and all around killing themselves to help out, even the people who mind their own buisness but do their jobs, and these abusers are hurting the company and everyone in it by their actions. From my POV, the FMLA has blown up into a colossal fireball of opportunities for people like the abusers to have no sense of responsibility and a non-existent work ethic. I have had my days many people have, and they have reasonable fmla qualifiers. And yet I have no plans to try and qualify for FMLA because I don't consider myself a proper candidate for its intended purpose. Except for the injury I sustained. Which only lasted a week, which my doctor advised me to stay off of work LONGER, which I in turn almost broke into tears saying I wanted to go back to work and I started begging to go back. My Docs Jaw was on the floor, (lets call them Doc), Doc said I have never heard of this before it’s refreshing to hear someone want to go back to work. (Half the reason I wanted to go back was home was driving me INSANE, and I am also known as a workaholic) So, I got my way and I went back to work, INSERT IRONIC HERE so, the week I go back to work (on restrictions) I end up picking up 2 shifts of someone who went on FMLA, OY VEY!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, as in every other aspect of society, we see that there are "givers" and there are "takers". It's time to weed out the takers and hold them accountable for their actions. So how do you do that??? I recently asked if I had difinitive proof of someone lying and were just going to use their FMLA and just call in and sit home and relax because they've been working so HARD, if it would be good enough evidence? You’d think right?? The response I got back was shocking and somewhat disheartening. I was told if they have the proper paper work and they physically go into the doctor for their FMLA, and the doctor signs off there is NOTHING we can do…..FMLA WHAT???????? FMLA is most definitely broken, abused and in need of repair and realignment.

So besides the ABUSERS….who else is at fault??? I firmly believe that doctors and patients should have a good relationship but I also think that the relationship have gotten hazy to say the least. If doctors were a little more strict on it I think there would be less wiggle room for the snakes. Why can’t we have a process????Oh lets say something terrible happened to my Mother lets say car accident…. (God forbid) I think the family members should go through counseling and then be somewhat screened for if they NEED FMLA???? What do you think? My thoughts on how wrong the abusers are are crystal clear but my ideas on what to do to decrease it is bumpy to say the least….it’s a work in progress. THOUGHTS, COMMENTS, IDEAS????? Grrrr hell why can’t their coworkers just vote on abusers fate??? LOL.