I cannot keep my job. Firstly because I’m on FMLA (unpaid medical leave) for a mystery illness and I cannot guarantee that, even if finally diagnosed, I will be recovered by the 12 week maximum allotted.
Secondly because we’ve put our daughter in online school due to severe bullying. The program she’s in now is awful and I have to help her through her English lessons (she’s in 7th grade and they’re having her read 18th century texts). We’re switching her to a new program next semester which requires a parent to be a full-time “learning coach” for their kid to keep them on track.
It’s a terrible job. I absolutely hate it. The pay is low, the job is boring, my co-workers don’t really care about my existence, and my bosses are friendly but unreasonable. The only thing I like is that I have a hybrid schedule where I can work from home for 18 hours a week. But spending the other 22 hours in the office sucks. I spend the whole time wearing noise-cancelling headphones just to get through the time there. I’ve wanted to leave this job for a good year now although I admit I wasn’t trying very hard to find another one.
But I just can’t bring myself to resign. I don’t know why. Something is stopping me like it’s the wrong thing to do. I know I will be happier even though we will be on a single income, I am doing the right thing for my daughter, and I have no idea when this medical issue will be resolved.
I was going to write the resignation letter last Friday. Every day I mean to write it and every day I just can’t do it. I know I have to do it soon. Maybe even today. But something won’t let me do it. My brain is telling me I can’t quit.
Thanks for reading my rant. I don’t know why I wrote it. I guess I needed to let it out to someone other than my wife and my boss follows me on non-anonymous social media so I can’t really talk about it there.
EDIT: I wrote the email, showed it to my wife to see what she thought and sent it. Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for a reply, but I’m shaking.
First of all, if you get STD/LTD through work you shouldn’t quit. Your job is protected while you’re on FMLA and you will be paid 50+% of your wages. Even if they displace you after 12 weeks, you can continue to be paid wages until your doctor clears you to return to work. At that time, if they don’t have a job for you, or even if they DO, then you can resign.
Edit: I didn’t have a second of all.
FMLA guarantees nothing about getting paid.
That depends on your company having some kind of short/long-term disability insurance. Even that sometimes requires that you opt into it and pay a premium, though many companies do include it with them paying the premium.
Please read my first sentence more carefully. Thanks!
I am not being paid wages. I think there are different types of FMLA. This is unpaid. Unless they’re doing something illegal, but I don’t think they are.
FMLA just protects your job. Short term and long term disability are sometime provided by your employer, sometimes an optional benefit you can sign up for via paycheck deductions. Worth investigating if you’re unsure, as you may need to contact a third party to initiate the process.
Ah yeah, they aren’t offering disability. Technically they don’t even have to offer FMLA because the company has less than 50 employees, making them exempt, but they offer it anyway.