MEDICAL RETIREMENT

[rholmes]

HELLO ALL

IN MY FIRST POST I WAS SO UPSET BECAUSE MY EMPLOYER WOULDN'T LET ME RETURN TO WORK. AFTER GOING TO AN AME HE DECIDED THAT I WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE WORKING IN THE SAME FEILD. WELL MY BIGGEST FEAR WAS I WOULD LOSE MOST OF MY RETIREMENT. EVERYONE KEPT ASKING WHAT DID I MEAN BY "LOSE MMY RETIREMENT. WELL TODAY I RECIEVED MAIL FROM MY JOB WITH A NEW WEBSITE THAT SHOWS YOU HOW YOUR RETIREMENT WORKS AND HERE IT GOES. IF I COMPLETE MY WHOLE 23 YEARS(15 MONTHS) FROM NOW I WOULD HAVE THE OPTION OF CASHING OUT WITH 360,000.00 OR MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF 2,200.00 FOR LIFE. NOW IF I DON'T MAKE THE NEXT 15 MONTHS IT DROPS DOWN TO NO CASH OUT, AND MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF ONLY 750.00 PER MONTH. THAT IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE THAT'S WHY I FEEL THEY ARE PRESSING ME TO LEAVE IT WILL SAVE THEM A TON OF MONEY AND I WILL GET TOTALLY SCREWED. I WAS LEANING TOWARDS TAKING THE MEDICAL AND JUST TRYING TO APPLY FOR SSD, BUT AFTER READING THIS I THINK IT IS A FIGHT WORTH FIGHTING.


ANY INPUT?



RH

[sparkey]

Did they have another job that is " light duty" within your doctors restrictions so that you can still work? Good luck and do not give up the fight

[rholmes]

sparkey Wrote:Did they have another job that is " light duty" within your doctors restrictions so that you can still work? Good luck and do not give up the fight

Hi Sparkey,

Yes they do have a light duty program, that is another option i am looking at. I was told by another co-worker that you company time continues even if you are doing light duty. I was under the impression that on light duty that everything stops even your senority time( i inow you don't accumulate vacation etc.). They have another dept. for injuried workers that requires taking some kind of test, i am in the process of trying to get my union to get me into that so i can just finish these last 15 months.

Thanks for the encouragement, I will not just walk away without a fight.

[cajenmom]

rholmes Wrote:

sparkey Wrote:Did they have another job that is " light duty" within your doctors restrictions so that you can still work? Good luck and do not give up the fight

Hi Sparkey,

Yes they do have a light duty program, that is another option i am looking at. I was told by another co-worker that you company time continues even if you are doing light duty. I was under the impression that on light duty that everything stops even your senority time( i inow you don't accumulate vacation etc.). They have another dept. for injuried workers that requires taking some kind of test, i am in the process of trying to get my union to get me into that so i can just finish these last 15 months.

Thanks for the encouragement, I will not just walk away without a fight.

[Still in Limbo]

I can surely see now why you want to stay and fight, I don't blame you and probably would do the same thing!! I hope this light duty works out for you, and you are able to work the additional 15 months. I guess the worst that could happen is if you can't do the entire light duty time, your Dr. can pull you back out of work, and you may have to re-group. Best of Luck and I hope it all goes well!!

[cajenmom]

I think I was in the same place as you, union worker, required light duty, but employer doesn't want light duty workers. I was 12 mos from retirement age when I got a case manager (who will probably be taken to court before this is all over) who pushed anything. Long story short, my employer had positions but just "couldn't get it together" so I filed EEOC discrimination charges (which the govt has accepted) -- we have mediation coming shortly. My suggestion to anyone on this board, do not stop with Workman's Compensation. Go outside the box. Once you have life changing restrictions, you are disabled; and think of what's happening to you in terms of disability discrimination.
I have rode out the year without getting another job, and the employer would love for me to retire and go away..... and this is a BIG employer! But first we have to settle the EEOC discrimination issue(s), and then other issues will come out.

[rholmes]

Still in Limbo Wrote:I can surely see now why you want to stay and fight, I don't blame you and probably would do the same thing!! I hope this light duty works out for you, and you are able to work the additional 15 months. I guess the worst that could happen is if you can't do the entire light duty time, your Dr. can pull you back out of work, and you may have to re-group. Best of Luck and I hope it all goes well!!

THANKS LIMBO AND YOU KNOW I WILL KEEP EVERYONE POSTED. HERES HOPING YOU HAD A PAINFREE DAY TODAY

RH

[rholmes]

cajenmom Wrote:I think I was in the same place as you, union worker, required light duty, but employer doesn't want light duty workers. I was 12 mos from retirement age when I got a case manager (who will probably be taken to court before this is all over) who pushed anything. Long story short, my employer had positions but just "couldn't get it together" so I filed EEOC discrimination charges (which the govt has accepted) -- we have mediation coming shortly. My suggestion to anyone on this board, do not stop with Workman's Compensation. Go outside the box. Once you have life changing restrictions, you are disabled; and think of what's happening to you in terms of disability discrimination.
I have rode out the year without getting another job, and the employer would love for me to retire and go away..... and this is a BIG employer! But first we have to settle the EEOC discrimination issue(s), and then other issues will come out.

WOWWWWWWW THEY ALMOST HAD ME I WAS ON THE VERG OF JUST SAYING FORGET IT AND WALK AWAY. BUT AFTER I READ MY PROFILE AND WHAT THE MONEY DIFFERENCE WOULD BE I SAID NO WAY WILL I JUST WALK AWAY. THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT I HOPE ALL WORKS WELL WITH YOU. WISH I HAD THE AGE :-) I STILL HAVE AT LEAST 11 1/2YEAR TO GO BEFORE I AM 62

[capricorn]

rholmes....I understand now. If you can do the light duty without harming yourself I would try. If not be careful. You know there are deadlines for all IW to follow even though the IC never does. Best of luck.
CAP

[sparkey]

Well i was given the okay to work Light duty 2 weeks ago. I still have not heard from my company as to what sort of job they have for me yet. I was put on light duty for two months when this first happened, and being right hand dominant it did so much damage that i was pulled out of work. I was curious as to why they are not contacting me for work yet, and if they refuse to give me something what is my rights as far as work now that they say my career is over. I can no longer do what i did for 15 yrs now. And may i ask what a EEOC is? I may have to file for that if there is no work offered for me at this employer. Any output on this topic would greatly be appreciated as i have no idea where to go from here now. What is taking them so long to contact me etc? Seems they were in such a hurry to get me back and now with the doctors restrictions i have heard nothing. Thank you.