Should I tell my manager?

[Exiled]

TW: mental health and abuse

I am a new employee at my job and today (its week two) my manager is going to have a one on one with me (in a couple hours) to discuss my schedule. They encourage open communication. We are work from home 4 days a week, and one day in office. I am returning to the workforce after 6 months off after going through a lifetime of hell.

I, 29F, escaped my family for the first time last year. I am a victim of human trafficking and my chances of surviving were pretty low. But I moved, changed my last name, and took my dog and got the hell out. I had just also gotten done beating cancer. As soon as I moved, my dog got cancer, but he had a good chance of survival if we did chemo. He had his last round of chemo yesterday and we are both cancer free and on the mend. I also was born with a debilitating liver disease and I am on a liver transplant list due to the severity. Long story short - I don't mean to play the "woe is me card" but all this has led me to be in therapy 3x a week. I also go to a trafficking survivors group. I need this job to keep my apartment and I've kind of indirectly been placed on the 9-5:30 schedule.....

Being so so new, is it too soon or too needy to explain that I need the 8-4:30 shift? Those are usually granted to employees after a year... But... With my appointments and my health, being off a little before 5 is actually life changing. Also, due to all my appointments, I have a preference for my in office day. Am I too needy to make all these requests even though I am so, so new? My manager does seem approachable.. do I explain any of this? Or is this a time to stay quietly inconvenienced and earn my way to be able to have requests?

 

[evanescent_eva]

You are a badass survivor, and you deserve to be able to ask for what you want. You don't have to share all (or any) of the details in your OP with your manager, but if (i) your job encourages open communication, (ii) your manager seems approachable, and (iii) a small change in shift hours would really be life-changing for you, then why not go for it? Sounds like the worst thing that could happen is that your manager politely says "no".

Hope the one on one goes well, and that you get everything you need <3

 

[ceilng_tile]

TW: mental health and abuse

I am a new employee at my job and today (its week two) my manager is going to have a one on one with me (in a couple hours) to discuss my schedule. They encourage open communication. We are work from home 4 days a week, and one day in office. I am returning to the workforce after 6 months off after going through a lifetime of hell.

I, 29F, escaped my family for the first time last year. I am a victim of human trafficking and my chances of surviving were pretty low. But I moved, changed my last name, and took my dog and got the hell out. I had just also gotten done beating cancer. As soon as I moved, my dog got cancer, but he had a good chance of survival if we did chemo. He had his last round of chemo yesterday and we are both cancer free and on the mend. I also was born with a debilitating liver disease and I am on a liver transplant list due to the severity. Long story short - I don't mean to play the "woe is me card" but all this has led me to be in therapy 3x a week. I also go to a trafficking survivors group. I need this job to keep my apartment and I've kind of indirectly been placed on the 9-5:30 schedule.....

Being so so new, is it too soon or too needy to explain that I need the 8-4:30 shift? Those are usually granted to employees after a year... But... With my appointments and my health, being off a little before 5 is actually life changing. Also, due to all my appointments, I have a preference for my in office day. Am I too needy to make all these requests even though I am so, so new? My manager does seem approachable.. do I explain any of this? Or is this a time to stay quietly inconvenienced and earn my way to be able to have requests?

You would be well within your rights to request a different shift due to medical reasons. Legally, you don't even need to tell them what the medical issue is, but they may request a doctor's note or accommodations paperwork from your doctor

 

[easypeasy]

You are so brave. So strong. It. Is. Inspiring.

 

[GeminiButter]

You are not needy, you have gone through an incredibly horrific amount of stuff and it sounds like you are doing everything you can to take care of yourself now as much as possible, which is really admirable.

I don't know what country you live in but I think you would be within your rights to ask about this. Is there a way to switch your office day to one of the days without appointments?

When I have asked for accommodations etc at work - I've always had them, I wouldn't be able to work without changes to the 'norm' because I'm disabled - I usually plan it all in advance (what I'm going to say) because that helps me feel less anxious and more prepared, and I usually also include quite a lot of stuff about how X or Y accommodation will have a positive impact on me doing my job and in turn, positive for the employer. I also generally always take seriously any trust and flexibility that a manager gives to me because I know i couldn't work without it, and I am loyal to an organisation/company who gives me adaptations and I will always give them back a lot. Even though fuck capitalism and hate bosses and hate that we have to work etc, good jobs that trust and support me have made a really positive impact on my health and my life.

This is a rambly way of saying that it might be helpful to lay out why you being able to do these things will have a positive impact on your ability to do your job and the company on the whole. You've got a really unique set of circumstances as to why you need this, so take the time to think about what you do want to share and what you don't want to share, but I thjnk it would be beneficial to be able to share some of it, given that you're asking for accommodations that people usually can't get until they've been working there for longer.

No matter what you do, if you talk this through with a manager in person, immediately afterwards send an email summarising the points you discussed and any actions agreed - sometimes I've done the request in writing in an email before I've spoken to the person, sometimes I've spoken to them and then did it in email to formalise it and keep a written record, but it's important to have it in writing somewhere basically, just for your own protection.

Wishing you best of luck with whatever you decide to do ❤

 

[Forever Sleep]

You've gone through so much. It's amazing how you're continuing to fight.

I'd say it was fine to request the earlier start now. It may be easier to accomodate while they're working the schedules out. The worst they can say is 'no' but, at least they know that's what you're after initially. I'm not convinced it is always so easy to change once you are working somewhere.

Ultimately, you are doing this to ensure that you are well supported- enough to take on a job like this. Ultimately, it will benefit them too. I think you could say you have a regular medical/ therapy appointment you would like to keep because it really helps you. They ought to honour that. You think how companies have to adjust to needs when people have children etc. I had colleagues who outright demanded it with no real excuse! They just liked getting home earlier.

Is the job customer facing? Is it more crucial to have employees available at certain times?

 

[SchizoGymnast]

I would say these are pretty extenuating circumstances. Ask for what you deserve.