Employer

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brittaydee123
Posts: 2
Joined: 2021-02-04 05:16:46

Employer

Post by brittaydee123 »

So currently I am a manager in fast food And I have been dealing with a few things lately the one thing that I have not dealt with until recently was a customer complaining to my supervisor that my bag was unsanitary for me to be working in fast food. My supervisor and I actually had a conversation in regards to wearing bigger shirts trying to hide it more and at the moment or as you all know when your bag is full of air etc it gets puffy and I am already dealing with hernia in my stoma area. I don’t know what to do the same supervisor has bothered me on other occasions recently and seems to take pleasure in bothering me about my bag. When I initially got my surgery done it took months for me to mentally be OK and now I feel like every day is something new at my job and I am feeling very uncomfortable to the point where my family is telling me to find a new job but why should I have to go why can’t people comply with kindness. What to do?
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phozzy
Posts: 597
Joined: 2010-09-25 16:41:16

Re: Employer

Post by phozzy »

Brittaydee123 you are protected from harassment by the Americans with Disabilities Act and most companies harassment policies, your ostomy is considered a disability, even though you are not disabled. Your employer should provide you with the ability to tend to your appliance when it needs attention such as bathroom breaks, etc. If your supervisor is harassing you, you should probably go over his/her head in your HR department. Perhaps your supervisor is not properly trained in dealing with employees who have a disability.
Debbie
Temp colo 5/1/10
Colon rupture by Endometreosis
brittaydee123
Posts: 2
Joined: 2021-02-04 05:16:46

Re: Employer

Post by brittaydee123 »

Thank you
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phozzy
Posts: 597
Joined: 2010-09-25 16:41:16

Re: Employer

Post by phozzy »

......and another thought for you to ponder, your bag is no more unsanitary than a normal persons plumbing. They carry feces around inside the bag of the colon, it requires emptying, cleaning the area around the exit requires hands, hands require washing.....get my drift.?

I know this is the young ppls forum, but sometimes age brings wisdom and us older folks should chime in, self image is an issue we all go through no matter our age, but one thing I have learned in my 56 years of living, is that other peoples opinions of me are none of my business and if they do have a negative opinion of me, it's their issue, not mine. I do my best and it is enough. Most people are so wrapped up in their own issues so much, your issues are hardly a blip on their radar. I work at the Post Office and sometimes my stoma makes loud enough noises to draw attention to it, I stopped announcing my issues to my customers, explaining or anything else. Gas and digestive noises and smells are something every person on the planet does, you know it, we know it, they know it. I don't complain when they are standing at my counter and fart and the entire lobby fills with mustard gas, so why should they complain when I fart and there is no smell.....why should I explain why I farted....they don't....it happens. Just my two cents.
Debbie
Temp colo 5/1/10
Colon rupture by Endometreosis
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steiconi
Posts: 1114
Joined: 2015-05-18 03:12:03

Re: Employer

Post by steiconi »

I never heard that this is the young people's forum. I thought that was the Colon Club.
Lee

I am not my disease.
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lolapergola
Posts: 500
Joined: 2009-01-01 12:45:09

Re: Employer

Post by lolapergola »

I don't think this is the young persons forum .
Britt , I'm retired now but I also used to be harassed at work , due to my stoma .It's very hurtful and frustrating because you know the people doing it are ignorant ,and in the wrong -as Phozzy says .
Someone tried to get me sacked because they found my stoma noise offensive .I was asked could I control the noise better please ?!!! as if you can .
At the next job I was on a Disability Training Course ( of all things - so ironic :evil: ) when I went to do a change and there was no disposal facility , no soap , no hand towels - nothing .When I questioned it the guy who had organised the course went bananas .So I used the disability act to fight back .They lost , and more importantly it enabled disabled disposal facilities here in the UK , to take a huge leap forward .
Your manager should be giving you his support , not siding or encouraging customers to be abusive .I've heard of a similar situation to yours before . A woman was working in a food factory and was bullied by her co-workers who said she shouldn't be near food . She told her manager and he asked the group ,casually , who had kids and grandkids ?Most of them did .Then he said - well if anyone has been changing nappies (diapers ) I'm afraid I'm going have to consider letting you go .He drew the comparison between them changing diapers and the ostomate .No one ever mentioned it again after that . Your manager is SO in the wrong .I'd either go over their head or I'd have a conversation with him/her , where I would point out your rights .But if you can't do either , I would move on .No job is worth making yourself unhappy for .
Good luck
Lola.x
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Mara
Posts: 1336
Joined: 2005-09-30 22:13:16

Re: Employer

Post by Mara »

steiconi wrote: 2021-02-05 22:38:11 I never heard that this is the young people's forum. I thought that was the Colon Club.
When I first read this post it was in the Young Adults part of this board....it has since been moved to the General Ostomy thread
Ileostomy due to UC - 50 odd years
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steiconi
Posts: 1114
Joined: 2015-05-18 03:12:03

Re: Employer

Post by steiconi »

Mara wrote: 2021-02-07 22:25:32
steiconi wrote: 2021-02-05 22:38:11 I never heard that this is the young people's forum. I thought that was the Colon Club.
When I first read this post it was in the Young Adults part of this board....it has since been moved to the General Ostomy thread
Ah. Thanks for clearing that up.
Lee

I am not my disease.
Lisae_vstar
Posts: 1
Joined: 2021-02-15 19:59:16

Re: Employer

Post by Lisae_vstar »

Hello..
I am very new to this group along with having an Ostomy,

I have a question for the group, where is the statue on having an ostomy makes you disabled?
I’d like to have this in case I ever need it. I work in healthcare and may need this in my back pocket if it ever comes up.

I am having a very hard time with all of this Ostomy stuff between the emotional, physical and all of the medical stuff, it’s so overwhelming for me..

Thank you.
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