Employee Health, ADA Accommodations, EEOC Compliance, and What Workplace Culture Reveals
Pros
At first, things seemed to be going well and I was excited about the opportunity. However, over time it became clear that the PMO team was very disorganized and lacked consistent leadership. There were unclear processes, shifting expectations, and a lack of direction that made it difficult to be successful.
Cons
During my time here, I was going through a rough pregnancy and had medical documentation from my doctors recommending that I work from home due to my health and safety. My first request to work remotely was denied, even though my doctors had clearly explained my restrictions and concerns. The company had the ability and resources in place to allow employees to work from home, which made this situation even more disappointing, especially while I was dealing medical concerns related to my pregnancy. After continuing to work in the office, I had a serious fall at work that resulted in urgent medical care, contractions, pre-term labor and additional monitoring. After that happened, my doctors again recommended that I work from home because of the safety concerns. Instead of feeling supported through that process, I felt like I had to fight to have my medical needs taken seriously. While I was trying to complete the accommodation paperwork, I was placed on unpaid leave. Going through this while dealing with pregnancy complications was extremely stressful, and it ultimately played a major role in my decision to leave the company. I later found out from EEOC, that the mandatory unpaid leave was considered pregnancy discrimination. Learning this was extremely upsetting, as I had been asking for support and reasonable accommodations related to my pregnancy and medical needs, not special treatment. My experience proved that this is not a company I wanted to work for. I understand companies have policies and procedures, but I believe employees should feel supported when they are dealing with unexpected medical situations.