I'm enjoying my 3 day suspension from work.

I really needed this mini vacation. Nothing like a little R&R. :toast:

I hope you're not in too much trouble though.

Nevertheless, here's to R&R :toast:

I'll be on probation for a month. And it's my first and final warning. But it I did the right thing so I can live with myself.

I don't regret what I did.

I missed that story....

I work as a hairstylist. I refused to cut a young child's hair. Kids under 5 don't sit still, and don't understand and listen when told to sit still. They also grab at my very sharp tools. I have cut myself many times when I have cut kids under 5. It would also be very easy to cut a kid who doesn't sit still. I have scratched kids who were moving before with my tools. It would also be very easy to cut myself and the kid all at once. I have hep C. And feel that the risk is too great. It's a small risk but it is a risk anyway. It is something that would be very, very easy to do. I feel as though cut a young child's hair is a very dangerous thing to do.

No one at work knows that I have Hep. C. I feel if I told them that they would find some excuse to fire me. So I couldn't let anyone know why I wouldn't cut the baby's hair.

So a couple of co-workers ratted me out to the manager. Everyone just assumes it's cuz I'm lazy and didn't want to. The shop lost a client. I got a first and final warning and 3 day suspension.


I know how kids are. I know how easy it would be to cut myself and them. I know i have hep C. I know I could infect that kid. I felt like I did the right thing. There is no one I can tell my side of the story to except the people here and hep c message boards. I don't want to take chances with someones life. If I did cut the baby and myself would I then be expected to tell them "oh, btw, I have hepatitis C."? Wouldn't the parents want to know why I cut the kids hair to begin with?

I really want to find a new line of work. I want to start treatment soon and don't think that my job would be compatible with that anyway. I don't know what I was thinking when I went back to this line of work after so many years.

I'm sorry that you feel that if you told the management, you would lose your job. :( I hope that you can find a new line of work where you can manage your treatment and not feel threatened.

Personally, as a parent, I appreciate the care that you have for other people's children. :hug:

In the mean time I refuse to risk anyone else's health. So I will try to avoid all blood to blood contact, even if I lose my job.

:toast:

They need to make reasonable accomodations for medical conditions. Not having you cut squirmy people is very reasonable and causes them little inconvenience.

If they retaliate, contact the EEOC.

I mean fire me for something else. Anything else. I do believe that they would. I know that they can't fire me for having hep c, others have won lawsuits for that.

I do think you should notify your employer in writing of your condition and the reason for your refusal to cut the child's hair. If they tried to fire you after that for some trumped up crap you could definitely fight it through the EEOC and most likely win. I know my company has played hell trying to fire people THAT DESERVED IT, but couldn't because of various health conditions. The laws are definitely on your side. Otherwise, all they have to do is put another kid in your chair and you're screwed. You would either have to do something you know is dangerous or refuse again and certainly be fired because they've given you your "final warning".

You mention treatment. I'm assuming you mean interferon. My dad finished an eight month course a few months ago and his tests have been clear since. It's a bitch, but it works. I wish you the very best of luck. I'll keep you in my thoughts.

:hug:

I don't worry much about infection, because it's hard to catch...but you were being cautious and conscientious, and you did the right thing. Especially where a child is concerned.

My husband uses a lot of herbal therapies, especially milk thistle. And absolutely NO alcohol, never, ever. Good luck.

Blood to blood is the only way. But this situation had the potential to be blood to blood and it really bothered me.

I hope your husband is doing okay and stays that way. No alcohol is a good plan. I never drink anymore either. I never really was much of drinker so I don't miss it. I've know I had this for years but just started getting symptomatic 3 years ago and it seems to be increasing. I want to get a biopsy to see where things are at. I'm going to do the treatment. I don't think I can put it off any more.

He didn't really need the money so he was like "Okay, how about four . . ." to which his supervisor said "Fine. . you get a week" to which my Uncle goes "Cool!" and walks off as someone higher up screams "DAMN IT, You gave him what he wanted!!"

Three days later they called and convinced him to come back in . . . . too many people out sick.

I have some money saved. Not that I get paid much but I did the right thing.

I went from one bad situation to another. Happened about 5+ years ago. I left an employer who was working me to death, hours per week were approaching 80 hrs. My supervisor was more concerned with keeping the sales staff happy, and would continually assign me the most screwed up, f____d up, grossly underestimated work that the sales crew booked. On top of that, I was given the responsibility of training the new guys. Usually I was doing jobs that were suited for three people but only two, including myself, were sent. Only one of us new how to do anything. I kept saying to my supervisor that I need more people but they did nothing. When fatigue and frustration began to show up in the form of a darker attitude and short fuse in temper, I simply was given a meeting that I needed to lighten my attitude. Six months later, I quit.

The next employer turned out to be a 3 major steps backward in terms of what I could do. Basically, I was at the same place that I started in this particular industry over a decade earlier. Aside from that it was a horrid and depressing place to work. I won't go into specifics as to what caused the suspension but I will say that it is something that I can't blame on someone else. What I did was incredibly stupid for someone who had been employed in this particular industry for 12 years. I often wonder if there was some sort of subconscious desire to be fired. One thing I should have realized that, at the time, they were days and days late giving me an annual review. I should have realized it then that they were either hoping I would quit. They could have fired me, but didn't for some reason. More than likely it was because my replacement wasn't trained up enough just then.

It was a little precarious going two weeks without a paycheck. A few months later, I gave them what they wanted, I quit. Sold my home and used the $ to fund a reeducation. I said goodbye to the that industry forever.

I'm glad you got out of that industy what ever it was. It doesn't sound like you were too happy there. This is my 2nd stint in this industry and I really am getting fed up. I'll see what I can do to get out. Maybe I'll try to go back to selling art again.

it was also just the punch-in-the-face I needed to make me realize that I needed to get out of the
industry. At least now I am headed toward a career that has better earning potential and marketability.

I am sorry to hear about the Hep-C. Something I didn't have to deal with.

:toast: