- Messages
- 40
I keep getting fired. I feel like there are plenty of people out there who can do the job way better than I. Why should anyone hire me?
-
Welcome to Phoenix Rising!
Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.
To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.
is hunting down a job even worth it?
- Thread starter ricericerice!
- Start date
Welcome to the forums!
I guess that depends on your circumstances. Are you dependent on your income? Do you live with others? Are you extremely ill, or able to do things? etc. In my case... YES, a job is a must... hang onto it, having a roof overhead and food to eat are rather important issues for me.
Do you like your work, or is it a pain? Is it time to switch careers or jobs??
I guess that depends on your circumstances. Are you dependent on your income? Do you live with others? Are you extremely ill, or able to do things? etc. In my case... YES, a job is a must... hang onto it, having a roof overhead and food to eat are rather important issues for me.
Do you like your work, or is it a pain? Is it time to switch careers or jobs??
Misfit Toy
Senior Member
- Messages
- 4,178
- Location
- USA
It really depends on how bad your illness is. Sometimes you have to make a total career change. Take less $$ and work less hours. Are you on SSD? Do you have enough $$. These are all questions only you have the answers to. What I went to college for is very different then what I am doing. I have changed my life to accommodate this illness and it is what most people have to do with this condition.
- Messages
- 40
I'm unemployed right now; I wish I could work. I think I am too ill. I keep getting fired for work performance issues. Yes, I do need the money! I worry that if I do not work now, I could have a hard time finding a job in the future.
There are a lot of seasonal jobs where I live, and I wonder whether that's the best way to go. Even if it's just for a few weeks, it's something I can put on my resume. I try to volunteer too; but gas is expensive, and getting out of bed can be a real chore some days.
There are a lot of seasonal jobs where I live, and I wonder whether that's the best way to go. Even if it's just for a few weeks, it's something I can put on my resume. I try to volunteer too; but gas is expensive, and getting out of bed can be a real chore some days.
To be honest? I feel miserable 100% of the time whether I'm at work or at home. At this point, I am making a GOOD living by sitting on my butt on the phone all day and supplying advice and opinions (I resolve tech design issues for a major company). I have had to take short periods of short-term disability and imagine that some day full-term disability might happen. I hope not, but at this point it's all about managing my spoons (so to speak). I have no quality of life at home - between being a single mom and spending all my evening hours and weekend hours laying down trying to build up enough spoons for work the next week.
I have thought about finding an alternative career and cutting back hours to try to get some balance back. But honestly? I have REALLY GOOD short-term disability and long-term disability coverage at my current employers. At 75% of income for long-term disability; I could support my family and still get by. So, at this point, I'm just doing everything I can to cope with my condition - fight for improvement - but sticking with this awesome job that I actually enjoy doing until I can't do it any longer.
I have thought about finding an alternative career and cutting back hours to try to get some balance back. But honestly? I have REALLY GOOD short-term disability and long-term disability coverage at my current employers. At 75% of income for long-term disability; I could support my family and still get by. So, at this point, I'm just doing everything I can to cope with my condition - fight for improvement - but sticking with this awesome job that I actually enjoy doing until I can't do it any longer.
Tristen
Senior Member
- Messages
- 638
- Location
- Northern Ca. USA
This may be a bit off what your looking for, but I just wanted to add to be very careful in your ventures to find the job you can handle. I spent the first 10 years with this disease jumping to new jobs attempting to find one with low enough stress that I could handle. I crashed over and over until eventually ending up severe bedbound sick with any kind of work being out of the question. I caused the disease to progress. Just saying......be careful.
- Messages
- 40
That is what I am worried about. I would love to work, but I am seen as lazy and unmotivated. I'm okay in certain jobs, but in others, but a lot of my bosses have not liked me, for one reason or another. Cfs seems to bring out the worst in people.
*GG*
senior member
- Messages
- 6,389
- Location
- Concord, NH
I hear you, I have been ill in my job for 10 years now, no one cares (to understand).
Looking to go back to my schedule of 2 days on, 1 day off for rest. But it might not fly with my employer. But I'm not sure why not. I currently work until 5pm, and will need to work longer days for financial reasons, others work until 5pm, so a reasonable accommodation would seem to allow me work to a little later hour than others?!
GG
- Messages
- 40
I think the reality of most workplaces is that they do not care about you. The most important thing is the bottom line.
heapsreal
iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
- Messages
- 10,104
- Location
- australia (brisbane)
i was unable to get any disability, looked to healthy and my doc at the time wasnt switched on to getting disability for cfs. i did take about 6 months off work and lived off the extra payments i had payed off my house but that money doesnt last long with a young family and at the time was living in a country area where my wife couldnt get any work. The extra rest didnt help me much, maybe delayed getting worse??
I did take leave without pay another time and tried other occupation as i thought my current work was too stressful, which its generally thought of as a stressful job but i have done it for a long time and think i do it well. So changing jobs was really just a big pay cut and the fatigue was no different to a couple other lower stress jobs i tried. I remember reading an article from someone in a similar situation that basically said not to change jobs unless absolutely neccessary as it doesnt always seem to make a difference. Unless u know u can get disability sometimes it best to try and stay in the same organisation and maybe a less stressful job or part time etc etc looking for alternatives with the same company.
I have somehow managed to keep working alternating between full time when i had to and part time and always taking alot of sick leave. So far i have been able withold telling them i have cfs as it would probably be a negative response. earlier days of my cfs i did have my doc at the time write a letter requesting i work part time due to ongoing fatigue, this complicating everything as i then had to see their workplace doc which got me a diagnosis of depression even after telling him of the 3 bad viral infection within 6 month period(cmv mono, chickenpox, ebv mono). Just going through this increased my stress levels and i suppose put me in the lime light. So since then have tread very lightly and also when asked about accessive sick leave i have just dodged around the subject eg kids have been sick, back spasms(which some were) but could stretch these excuses abit further to cover all the sick leave i took because of cfs.
Im still amazed i have had cfs for 11 yrs and been able to work etc, theres been some ugly times and many spare moments in bed i call not sleeping. Through lots of my own research and the help of a good doc i have made good improvements and not suffering like i once was but always looking over my shoulder and pacing.
cheers!!!
I did take leave without pay another time and tried other occupation as i thought my current work was too stressful, which its generally thought of as a stressful job but i have done it for a long time and think i do it well. So changing jobs was really just a big pay cut and the fatigue was no different to a couple other lower stress jobs i tried. I remember reading an article from someone in a similar situation that basically said not to change jobs unless absolutely neccessary as it doesnt always seem to make a difference. Unless u know u can get disability sometimes it best to try and stay in the same organisation and maybe a less stressful job or part time etc etc looking for alternatives with the same company.
I have somehow managed to keep working alternating between full time when i had to and part time and always taking alot of sick leave. So far i have been able withold telling them i have cfs as it would probably be a negative response. earlier days of my cfs i did have my doc at the time write a letter requesting i work part time due to ongoing fatigue, this complicating everything as i then had to see their workplace doc which got me a diagnosis of depression even after telling him of the 3 bad viral infection within 6 month period(cmv mono, chickenpox, ebv mono). Just going through this increased my stress levels and i suppose put me in the lime light. So since then have tread very lightly and also when asked about accessive sick leave i have just dodged around the subject eg kids have been sick, back spasms(which some were) but could stretch these excuses abit further to cover all the sick leave i took because of cfs.
Im still amazed i have had cfs for 11 yrs and been able to work etc, theres been some ugly times and many spare moments in bed i call not sleeping. Through lots of my own research and the help of a good doc i have made good improvements and not suffering like i once was but always looking over my shoulder and pacing.
cheers!!!
caledonia
Senior Member
- Messages
- 4,610
If you can't work a sedentary job consistently 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, then you would qualify for Social Security disability. "Sedentary" is the lightest job activity level. The other two are "light" and "medium".
You may be able to get disability for the heavier types of work if you are 55+, and have only a high school education or less. The reason is because they feel you're too old to be retrained into lighter work.
The reason to not work part time or seasonal instead of going on disability is because your amount of disability is based on how much you earned in the past five years. So if you're earning a part time wage, your disability income will be tiny.
You can work part time while you're on disability, as long as you keep it under the Substantial Gainful Activity amount. However, while you're waiting for disability, it's best if you're not working at all. Their thought process is, if you're able to work a little, why can't you work full time? So it's better to show that you can't work at all.
However, I have heard of a few people who did get approved while working part time - you need to keep it under the Substantial Gainful Activity amount (last time I checked, about $1000 a month) or they will deny you for sure.
You can use getting fired from jobs as proof of "failed work attempts".
A good number of people with ME/CFS or FM have had luck using a service such as Allsup to prepare their disability claim. They know the right things to put in your claim so you get approved sooner. Most lawyers won't take you on until you've been denied, but that seems to be changing with pressure from places like Allsup.
You may be able to get disability for the heavier types of work if you are 55+, and have only a high school education or less. The reason is because they feel you're too old to be retrained into lighter work.
The reason to not work part time or seasonal instead of going on disability is because your amount of disability is based on how much you earned in the past five years. So if you're earning a part time wage, your disability income will be tiny.
You can work part time while you're on disability, as long as you keep it under the Substantial Gainful Activity amount. However, while you're waiting for disability, it's best if you're not working at all. Their thought process is, if you're able to work a little, why can't you work full time? So it's better to show that you can't work at all.
However, I have heard of a few people who did get approved while working part time - you need to keep it under the Substantial Gainful Activity amount (last time I checked, about $1000 a month) or they will deny you for sure.
You can use getting fired from jobs as proof of "failed work attempts".
A good number of people with ME/CFS or FM have had luck using a service such as Allsup to prepare their disability claim. They know the right things to put in your claim so you get approved sooner. Most lawyers won't take you on until you've been denied, but that seems to be changing with pressure from places like Allsup.