Will Your Employer Support You for Better or Worse?

You may or may not be a sports fan. But today’s NFL trade deadline is a useful reminder to us all that some employers will stick by you through good and bad, while others will ditch you given the opportunity. 

By 4 p.m., a host of players will be finding out which type they’ve been toiling away and putting their bodies at risk for this season. Some disgruntled players want trades, but others will be shipped off to new teams feeling betrayed. 

Most people probably find it hard to muster any sympathy for multimillion-dollar athletes being shuffled around. But it tugged loose memories for me of my extended medical leaves due to Lyme disease and sarcoidosis. Much like players waiting today for word on their future, I also wondered whether my employers would keep me or let me go. 

I’ve experienced both sides. Although it sure as heck didn’t feel like it at the time, losing my job brought some positive changes to my life. 

Now you know

When illness prevents you from working, your value to a company will become crystal clear. Learning the truth may hurt, but it also saves you from a future where you’re not truly appreciated. 

If your employer has been unsupportive while you’re out, being fired will also enable you to move on to the benefit of your health. Stress has a physical and emotional impact on our bodies, as the Mayo Clinic explains. Worrying nonstop about becoming unemployed takes a serious toll on one’s well-being.

Reality check

Being on the receiving end of a termination letter will also make you reexamine your priorities. For me, it pushed my focus back to where it should have been all along: solely on my health instead of my career. 

It also made me take a hard look at my pattern of putting work over my health and personal life. When a job is gone, you feel foolish over the harmful sacrifices you made trying to keep it. It’s a habit I changed when I reentered the workforce.

Moving on

I’ve benefited from having gone through both scenarios. It’s provided the insight to determine workplaces that value people, not just the work. If you are afraid to disclose your health issues or ask for any accommodations, that is a huge clue to which type you are laboring away for. 

Whether you care about today’s trade cutoff or not, one question you should be asking yourself before the time for an answer arrives is: “Will your employer support you when you need it most?”

***

Brighter side: We all could use a break from bad news right now. So, I’ll be closing my columns with a roundup of positivity until we are able to say goodbye to masks, hug our loved ones, and leave our homes without fear.

• Festive countdown: Discount grocer Aldi’s 2020 Advent calendars will hit stores Nov. 4, WRAL reported in a sneak preview. There are more than 20 varieties of the calendars, which can be opened for daily surprises to count down to the holidays. Favorites like wine, beer, cheese, and toys are back, along with new options like hard seltzer and candle calendars. You can buy them in more than 2,000 stores in 36 states. View the selections and release dates here.
• Indy Jazz Fest: The 22nd annual Indy Jazz Fest will be held as a four-part online streaming series, The Indianapolis Star reported. Shows featuring performances by Indianapolis musicians will be held Nov. 13, 14, 20, and 21. You can watch for free at indyjazzfest.net and at the festival’s Facebook and YouTube pages, but donations are encouraged to help reach a $25,000 fundraising goal.

***

Note: Sarcoidosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Sarcoidosis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to sarcoidosis.