I reached out to Empower Work when I didn’t know where else to turn, and I’m glad I did.
I was trying to make positive changes at work.
I’m a patient account manager at a clinic, in charge of front desk, billing, records, and supplies. I got additional certifications for patient rights and safety to make sure that we follow regulations ethically and responsibly. The people they had in the position before didn’t have that training, and I found out we were not in compliance.
I’m an evidence-based person. I’m going to give you the sources that say what the laws are. Unfortunately, my employer was not receptive to the information that I brought forward. The response I got was, “We haven’t done this in 30 years, why should we do it now?”
The regulations are there for a reason, to protect people. But I found out there was no protection for me in my job, even when I was following the law.
My boss called me insubordinate and combative.
When I told HR, they told me the department was “looking into it” and they couldn’t comment. I spoke to one of the leaders of the organization. He also said he didn’t have time to look into it. My boss wrote me up for being “insubordinate and combative.” I just can’t believe my boss would rather try to get rid of me than fix the problem. I’m going day to day wondering if I’m going to lose my job.
There is only so much they can take out on me, so they are taking it out on the staff under me. They are the lowest paid and yet they are the face of the clinic, greeting the patients. The administration is telling them not to take breaks and things like that.
But I take my oath seriously. I won’t give up.
When I sat down to write a letter to HR about my situation, I was at a complete loss for words because I was angry and frustrated. I Googled, “I know it’s not right to do this. They’re gaslighting me.” Your website came up, and I thought, “All right, I’ll talk for a little while.”
What’s extremely sad is that the people hurt most by their unethical behavior are minorities and the elderly. Both our patients and employees are suffering the consequences of the administration's actions. And they’re teaching doctors to do this. These are doctors who took an oath to care for all types of people.
Well, I took an oath, too. I worry about what would happen if an auditor walked in because I don’t want to go to jail for this. We need to make changes. It doesn’t have to be overnight, but if something were to happen, we have to show that we’re moving towards compliance. I’m going to have to report this. I don’t want to, but I have to. I’m researching the best way to do that on either a state or federal level.
There may come a day where I say I’ve had it. Work-related stress is a major issue that impacts a person’s entire life. I love my job. They say the market is great, but changing jobs is not an easy process. That’s stressful too. Once you call a place home, you have a work family and what you have developed over time. I hate to think I could lose that for something that’s not my fault, to have to move on because this place isn’t meeting its ethical responsibilities.
Empower Work is on my side.
I really appreciate the assistance I received from Empower Work. My peer counselor helped me focus on the key points of what needed to be said. I wrote my letter to HR, and I now have a meeting with them to discuss the situation further.
I know that the best way to get my message to my employer is by being knowledgeable and professional and Empower Work helped me process the situation so that I could act in a responsible way. In addition, they gave me information about some laws and my rights.
What’s helped my mental health the most is to know I’m not overreacting. I know that what I’m seeing is bad, and I understand I have a role to play in making it better. Now, with the help of my Empower Work peer counselor, I know what steps I need to take. And I know there’s someone on my side.
*Note: Empower Work provides non-legal support for workplace challenges. This information, while authoritative, is not legal advice or guaranteed for legality. Employment laws and regulations vary by state. We recommend consulting with state resources for specific interpretation and decisions. If you believe you were discriminated against in violation of the law, we recommend you seek legal advice.
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