Is it fair for me to be fired when an illness has kept out of work for a long period? - Comparably | Comparably

Is it fair for me to be fired when an illness has kept out of work for a long period?

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17 Answers

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    Top Employee Response

    no but there were many who were out often and did not lose their jobs

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    World is unfair

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    Absolutely, yes. It's not the company's fault that you have that illness.

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    No, I don't. However, I do think there should be some kind of cut off point, where the situation has to be assessed from both sides.

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    Not if it is an illness you can back up with documentation.

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    If the you have been off longer than allowed per policy or by law Don’t feel this should apply if you were injured or ill as a direct result of your job, however it usually does

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    No if the illness requires being out of work

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    No, it's not fair

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    Many companies have policies in place regarding "keeping your position open". The work must still get done. When diagnosed, you need to have a conversation with employer. HR may have information to help during this type of situation.

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    No. It should be illegal to do so.

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    No. Short/ long term disability

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    Fair? No. Illegal......most definitely, depending on a few factors. Length of employment, benefits available to you, and proper documentation. I had Kroger do something similar to me and the only reason they weren't slapped with millions in fines, is that my Dr. didn't put an exact date for return, just said I could return any day, once my accommodations were met.

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    Legally in Washington state, no. Though there may come a time when short term and long term disability kick in and the rules for that are different. In short though, retaliation for use of sick time is illegal in Washington state. More info can be found at lni.wa.gov

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    No, but you might not be able to return to the same position

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    No way. Is that even legal?!

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    Nope. There should be an accommodation process if it looks like you can return to work

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    No. Everyone will get sick, and really empathy is important