Sent Home by HR

A coworker was sent  home by HR.

She struggles with a alot of issues, depression, grief of a recent a loss of her significant other and the loss of her home.   A tree fell on her mobile home a month before her SO died.  You can see the trend of her life.

But before any of this happened she had physical and mental issues that caused her to attempt to get SSI.  But it didn’t work.

She was trying again for SSI when I was hired into the department under the idea that she intended to quit because of the SSI.

And then all of the above happened. And she had no other income.  And then when her SO died it became CRITICAL.  He died about 4 weeks after I was hired to fill the expected space she would create by her quitting.  That didn’t happen because – he died.

I felt like shit.  I went to my boss and said – Listen you can move me back to my old job and keep her .  But here’s the thing.  It’s not that simple.  Shes on drugs.  Prescription mind altering drugs.  At work.  Often.

She falls asleep at her desk when she is on these drug.  It’s not like you can nudge her awake.  I have physically shaken her and not woken her up.   It’s at MINIMUM annoying to us, her coworkers.  At worst it’s threatening her job.

I work at a small company.  The owners know us individually and probably way too much about our messed up lives.  But they are SOOO kind.  That kindness is what got me hired while I was homeless due to severe nonfunctional depression and what kept my job in midst of some of my dark mental moments.  It’s also what keeps my coworker in her job.  But patience and kindness have their limits.  And I am worried the owners have reached theirs.

Today, before I got to work, the new HR director walked in on my drugged coworker SLEEPING in her chair in the middle of the office.  Apparently she wasn’t even at her desk.  Her chair was in the middle of the office and she was snoozing.  The HR position is new.  Part of the effort to step up the level of business our income deserves.  He has no association with her golden past.  All he sees is a person who is so drugged she can’t stay awake.  He sent her home and wrote her up.

I worry about her. If she loses this job – It will be DEVASTATING.  She needs rehab.  But if she loses this job…

I know what it’s like to be so depressed that even the effort to get out bed is gargantuan.  She’s in that place now and she has managed for 3 or 4 weeks to get to work. PLUS she had the drugs issue.  I want her to get the help she needs and deserves but I have no idea how to help her do that

I’m worried that she is going to lose this job.  The job is such a pivotal part of how my life got better that I REALLY DON’T WANT HER TO LOSE IT.  But how do you talk about that to someone you really don’t know that well.  Should I try, even though we hardly know each other?  I am so worried about her.