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My doctor referred me to a psychotherapist for some of my problems, but the therapist office he referred me is only open from 9-3:30, but I work during that time so I would have to take time off work to go.
I started a new job a few weeks ago, so not sure if it looks good to ask for two hours off a week to go a see therapist, especially since I feel I am on thin ice at the job as it is already.
I posted about problems I was having with the job before, here:
I talked about it with my friend and he said that if you need medical help, that it's the law that you should go, and the employer, legally has to let you do it. But what do you think, is it that simple, especially if it's a new job, which I am already on thin ice for, I feel?
I am not sure how Canadian law works on this matter, so I cannot answer your question with any authority. As a rule of thumb, Canadian law is more employee favorable than American, so you are likely in a good legal position.
In the US, many workers could get this covered as unpaid leave under FMLA. The employee needs to work for a company if 50+ employees, and has to have worked a min8mum of 1000 hours in the previous 12 months. FMLA would protect your job status do to being absent for medical reasons, but would not protect your job status for performance.
In other words, an American employer could not fire you for having regular medical appointments, but could still fire you for poor performance.
You are new, so you have to pass the probation time first before you can be eligible for benefits such as sick leave, LOA (Leave Of Absence – no pay), Stat Holiday, vacation pay (2 weeks, 3 weeks, etc...), extended health and dental insurance, or FMLA.
Some employer or manager may be very nice and flexible. You can ask your manager to have two hours off work to go to the therapy, and you work two hours after your shift to cover back. If s/he is okay with that, you are good to go. If not, you have to find some other therapist who has the schedule that suits yours. And you have to work very hard, go above and beyond, not to call in sick for a long time, except the time you need to go for your therapy.
No employer likes employees who call in sick often, or come or not come to work whenever they want to. And the hard-working co-workers don’t like them either because they have to do extra work with no extra pay. It’s very stressful. For the long-time ones, and if there’s Union, the employer cannot do much, they have to tolerate them. But with the new ones, the employer can let them go easily.
I talked about it with my friend and he said that if you need medical help, that it's the law that you should go, and the employer, legally has to let you do it. But what do you think, is it that simple, especially if it's a new job, which I am already on thin ice for, I feel?
Does your employer have an HR department? I'm not sure of the ins and outs of Canadian labor law, but that's the kind of thing that they can take care of. You tell them that you have a medical issue that requires appointments that are only available during work hours and then you're on the record as having a condition--you're not just missing work.
Last edited by fleetiebelle; 06-16-2019 at 08:50 AM..
Okay thanks, I'm not sure if we have an HR department but I assume so, I can look into it. Also as for working a different shifts, there are no different shifts, just the one, it seems.
Can you ask your boss if you can come in early and leave early (early afternoon appointment like 3:30) or come in late and leave late (early morning appointment)?
Well the thing is, is I don't think there is anyone in earlier than 8 pm, and everyone seems to leave at 4:30, and I am not well trained enough to go in and work myself on those machines, without a mechanic at least being there or something I don't think. Plus the person who coordinates what needs to be done is not there, so I wouldn't even be able to know what needs to be done, if so, if I go in early, I don't think.
Small company only open around 8 hours for five days a week then? That makes it more difficult. Seems like your only option would be to ask for the time off (unpaid?) and hope that your performance improves enough, or that your mgr is sympathetic enough to not hold it against you. Might be time to consider other employment options.
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Already? How come?
