35-Year Employee Reportedly Passes Away On The Job After Company Refuses To Accept Her Doctor’s Note For A Medical Leave Of Absence
“I cannot express my total shock and aversion for a system that I had previously had much faith in."
FatCamera | Canva Pro You’ve likely heard the saying, “Work to live, don’t live to work.” However, most of us don't consider that working might cost us our lives.
One woman was forced to deal with the brutal aftermath after her sister-in-law passed away on the job when her doctor’s note was not accepted by her company.
When she attempted to take legal action against the company, her lawyer gave her some disheartening advice: You cannot afford to fight the Commonwealth.
The 35-year veteran of the job allegedly passed away at work after her company refused to accept her doctor’s note for a medical leave of absence.
The late employee's sister-in-law shared her story on the platform “End Workplace Abuse.”
“My late sister-in-law was a long-term and highly regarded employee of DDS and was ready to retire in a few months,” the woman wrote.
“She had some attendance problems due to significant illness and provided her employers with doctor’s notes stating that she was impaired and needed to go on an intermittent Leave of Absence as per her condition.”
She had been working for the company for over 35 years.
Despite offering evidence of her failing health, her company threatened termination if she didn't continue working.
When she presented the doctor’s notes to her employers, she was reportedly told that she had to continue working or she’d be terminated.
“Laurie was single and could not afford to lose her job,” her sister explained. “She reported for duty on third shift and was instructed to work alone, although she felt uncomfortable doing so.”
“She suffered a stroke and died that evening on duty following an argument with her supervisor.”
When the family attempted to pursue legal action against the company, they were discouraged from doing so, with lawyers noting that they could not afford to fight the Commonwealth.
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Just one year before her sister-in-law’s death, the woman said that there was a similar incident where another employee’s doctor’s note was dismissed and they were forced to work.
They, too, passed away on the job.
“I cannot express my total shock and aversion for a system that I had previously had much faith in when I heard that my sister had deceased on duty following administrative harassment emanating from an agency and facility that I had placed my trust in and had regarded highly for over 30 years,” the woman wrote.
Unfortunately, the pressure employees face having to show up for work despite their ailing health is nothing new in the U.S.
“When I worked for DMH [The Department of Mental Health] as a peer counselor, I would find on a frighteningly consistent basis people reporting anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation regarding turmoil and harassment in their workplace,” the woman wrote.
A SWNS survey consisting of 2,000 general population Americans found that the average person works 84 hours a year while feeling unwell, with 47% admitting that they feel pressured to “power through” rather than take a sick day.
Others may feel as if they have no choice but to work while they are sick or injured to make ends meet.
It is the harsh reality of the work culture that is heavily enforced in this country.
You are expected to slap a bandaid over whatever health issue you are experiencing and hold down the fort or lose your livelihood.
Employers are not legally required to accept doctor’s notes unless workers are protected by FMLA [Family and Medical Leave Act].
Under the FMLA, employees of covered employers can “take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave,” per the U.S. Department of Labor.
However, not every employee is eligible for FMLA, even if unexpected health complications arise and they do not have enough sick days to cover it.
Although the woman is likely in the U.K., she is calling on employees to fight back against legislators who continue to allow employers to force sick and injured employees to come to work and put their health at risk. The issues are not much different than in the U.S.
“As a DMH counselor, I personally supported many victims who reported to emergency services and crisis stabilization units where I worked,” she shared.
“If I didn’t have my own personal experience as well as my experience working on the front lines in the mental health field, I would never know that workplace bullying existed, and, quite honestly, I would likely have thought it was much ado about nothing and also that it would be too costly an undertaking for the Commonwealth.”
“Today, after all that I have experienced, I realize that it is too costly for the Commonwealth NOT to prevent workplace bullying.”
By holding companies and employers accountable, she hopes that tragedies like her sister-in-law’s will soon become a thing of the past.
No job is worth the sacrifice of your life. At a company, you are just a replaceable number.
However, your families and loved ones cannot quite say the same.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.