I CAME TO MY JOB FROM A JOB I DIDN'T LIKE. MY REASON
FOR CHOOSING THIS JOBB WAS BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER HAD
WORKED THERE IN THE SUMMERS WHILE SHE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
SHE RECEIVED REGULAR RAISES AND THEY WERE VERY NICE TO HER.
I APPLIED FOR THE JOB ON FRI. JULY 30, 1998 AND WAS TOLD THAT
I HAD THE JOB IF I WANTED IT, BUT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO START ON
SUN. AUGUST 1ST. I TOOK THE JOB.
I WAS TREATED WELL AT FIRST AND GOT ONE RAISE THE FOLLOW-
ING APRIL AFTER A REVIEW WHICH SAID I WAS ON TIME, WILLING TO WORK AND
DEPENDABLE. I GOT ALONG WELL WITH MY FELLOW EMPLOYEES.
DURING THIS TIME IT BECAME OBVIOUS TO ME THAT MY HANDS
HAD BEGUN SHAKING AND I WAS SLOWING DOWN AND VERY STIFF.
IN DECEMBER OF 1998 I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE.
SINCE MY CO-WORKERS KNEW THAT I HAD BEEN TO SEE THE DOCTOR,
ABOUT SIX OF THEM GATHERED AROUND ME THE NEXT MORNING TO
ASK WHAT I HAD LEARNED AND TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERN. I WANTED
TO BE THE ONE TO TELL MY EMPLOYERS SO IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT
I WENT IN SEARCH OF ONE OF THEM. I FOUND BOSS #1 IN THE BACK ROOM
AND TOLD HER ABOUT MY DIAGNOSIS.
THIS WAS HER RESPONSE: WELL SUE, THERE WAS ANOTHER LADY
WHO WORKED HERE WHO HAD THAT AND SHE GOT SO NERVOUS THAT
SHE HAD TO QUIT. I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE SHOP, I'M WORRIED
ABOUT YOU. IF YOU GET NERVOUS, YOU'LL MAKE THE GIRLS NERVOUS
AND IF THE GIRLS ARE NERVOUS, THE CUSTOMERS WILL BE NERVOUS.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF JOBS IN DOOR COUNTY THAT ARE
LESS STRESSFUL THAN THIS ONE.
THAT WAS THE LAST THING ANY OF THE FOUR EMPLOYERS EVER
SAID TO ME ABOUT MY ILLNESS. NONE OF THEM EVER ASKED HOW I
WAS DOING. NONE OF THEM EVER MADE ANY ACCOMMODATIONS TO
MY ILLNESS AND ITS SYMPTOMS. MY CO-WORKERS ON THE OTHER
HAND WERE WONDERFUL. THEY SHOWED INTEREST IN ME AND
CONTINUED CONCERN AND HELPED ME WHEN I NEEDED IT.
ONE OF OUR JOBS DURING THE SLOW SEASON IS TO MARK
(UNWRAP AND PUT PRICE TAGS ON) NEW MERCHANDISE. THAT
WINTER IT WAS DECIDED THAT WE WOULD BE ASSIGNED NUMBERED
SHELVES TO WORK ON. WE CAME IN EACH MORNING AND THERE
WAS A NUMBER ALONGSIDE OUR NAMES AND THAT SHELF WAS
TO BE FINISHED BEFORE THE DAY WAS OVER. ONE DAY I CAME
IN AND THERE WERE TWO NUMBERS BESIDE MY NAME AND ONE
BESIDE EVERYONE ELSE'S.
I CONTINUED TO WORK FULL TIME AND IN THE SPRING WAS
ASKED TO TRANSFER TO THEIR SHOP IN ANOTHER TOWN WHERE I WAS ONE
OF TWO PEOPLE WHO RAN THE SHOP ALL SUMMER AND RIGHT UP TO
CHRISTMAS.
RIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING MY FATHER WAS PUT IN THE
HOSPITAL AND DETERMINED TO NEED NURSING HOME CARE. MY
MOTHER ASKED ME TO COME TO MILWAUKEE FOR A WEEK TO HELP
HER LOOK AT NURSING HOMES AND MAKE SOME DIFFICULT DECISIONS.
THIS WAS UNEXPECTED TIME OFF FOR ME BUT I OKAYED IT WITH
BOSS #2 BEFORE I LEFT. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MOVE
BOTH MY PARENTS TO A FACILITY THAT HAS ACCOMMODATIONS
FOR BOTH OF THEIR NEEDS. THAT MOVE WOULD REQUIRE ME TO
TAKE ANOTHER TWO WEEKS OFF IN JANUARY. AS SOON AS I GOT
BACK FROM THE THANKSGIVING TRIP I OKAYED THE JANUARY
TIME OFF WITH BOSS #2. I ALSO HAD RESERVED FOUR DAYS (DEC 27-30)
BEFORE ALL THIS HAPPENED. I DECIDED IF I WAS GOING TO HAVE
THESE TWO LONG PERIODS OFF, I NEEDED TO WORK DEC 27 & 28
(THE OTHER TWO DAYS WERE MY REGULAR DAYS OFF). SO I ASKED
BOSS #2 IF I COULD WORK THOSE TWO DAYS AND HE SAID NO,WE HAVE
PLENTY OF PEOPLE TO COVER DURING THAT TIME. GO AHEAD AND
TAKE THE TIME OFF.
MY DAUGHTER DECIDED TO COME HOME FOR A FEW DAYS AT
CHRISTMAS, SO THOUGH I WORKED CHRISTMAS EVE AND THE DAY
AFTER CHRISTMAS I WAS GLAD TO BE AVAILABLE TO DRIVE HER TO THE
BUS IN GREEN BAY ON THE 27TH. ON CHRISTMAS EVE I TALKED TO BOSS #2
ON THE PHONE TO VERIFY THAT HE DIDN'T EXPECT ME TO WORK
ON THE 27TH AND 28TH. HE AGAIN SAID NO, WE HAVE PLENTY OF PEOPLE
TO COVER DURING THAT TIME. GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE TIME OFF.
I TOOK THE TWO DAYS OFF AND MY REGULAR DAYS OFF AND
RETURNED TO WORK ON THAT FRIDAY. I WAS MET AT THE DOOR BY
BOSS #2 & #3. BOSS #2 ASKED ME WHY I WASN'T AT WORK
THOSE TWO DAYS AND I REMINDED HIM THAT I HAD WANTED TO WORK
THOSE DAYS BUT HE HAD SAID NOT TO. HIS ANSWER WAS OH, I MEANT
WE DIDN'T NEED YOU AT THE SISTER BAY STORE. HOWEVER AT THAT
TIME I WAS ONLY WORKING IN FISH CREEK. BOSS #3 PROCEEDED TO
LECTURE ME ABOUT NOT BEING DEPENDABLE AND RESPONSIBLE.
THIS WAS THE SAME DAY THAT I RECEIVED THE JANUARY SCHEDULE.
OF COURSE I WAS TAKING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OFF TO HELP MY
PARENTS MOVE, BUT IN THE LAST SIXTEEN DAYS OF THE MONTH I HAD
BEEN CROSSED OFF SIX DAYS OF MY SCHEDULED TIME. I ASKED WHY
AND BOSS #2 SAID I CAN'T JUSTIFY IT.
OUT OF 29 DAYS IN FEBRUARY I WAS ONLY SCHEDULED FOR
14 DAYS. I THEN RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THAT I WAS NO LONGER
A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE AND THAT THE COMPANY WOULD NO LONGER
COVER ANY OF MY INSURANCE. I WENT TO BOSS #2 AND ASKED IF THIS
WAS GOING TO BE PERMANENT AND HE SAID I DON'T KNOW-I GUESS.
I THEN ASKED WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME. HE SAID WE'RE NOT
SINGLING YOU OUT. IT'S NOT THAT YOU'RE DOING A TERRIBLE
JOB. IT'S JUST THAT THE OTHER GIRLS DO IT BETTER.
I QUIT MY JOB ON FEB. 21ST BECAUSE I WAS PAYING THEM $65
MORE PER MONTH FOR MY INSURANCE THAN THEY WERE PAYING
ME FOR ONE OR TWO DAYS A WEEK WORKING.
I AM THINKING OF SUING FOR DISCRIMINATION. WHAT DO YOU
ALL THINK. MIGHT I HAVE A CASE? ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW
TO PROCEED.
THANKS AHEAD OF TIME AND APOLOGIES FOR THE CAPS. SUE
