Employer Eliminated My Job and Offered Me an Unsuitable Position in Its Place

[susan121414]

My doctor says I am exhibiting all the symptoms of anxiety disorder. I'm hesitant to have him give me that official diagnosis, however, because I didn't have these symptoms before these new responsibilities were given to me, and I don't want my health insurance costs to go up if I'm documented as having a condition. My health was fine in my old role.

I have to say, it seems very unfair that a new boss should be able to come in, put me into a completely different role for which I have no knowledge and that I should have to just accept it or quit and have no support while looking for my new job. I mean, would you tell your house cleaner that from now on she has to be a trial lawyer, with no training or prior experience, and that if she refuses she won't get any support while looking for a new job? I'm trained to book travel and do expense reports, basically I'm a secretary, and now they've told me I have to come up with strategies for advertising campaigns and I know nothing at all about advertising!! I sit in business meetings with top executives and I have no idea what they're talking about. It's as if they're speaking in a different language, they use such complex high-level business lingo. People in my company have a good opinion of me from my years of work there but now I feel like I'm letting everyone down and they're starting to look down on me because I can't do this new role, which I never wanted in the first place.

I don't want to sound like a whiner, but honestly, it just doesn't seem fair that they should force me into a new role in which I'm bound to fail and disappoint my colleagues. If I can just find another secretarial job like the one I had before, I'm sure my anxiety and insomnia will go away. I'm usually a healthy, level-headed person and don't experience much emotional distress.

[Dogmatique]

In other words, "no".

Thanks for answering the question.

[cbg]

FYI, if your health insurance is through your employer, your rates will not go up if you have a documented condition. Your rates are locked in for the year, and your rates cannot be higher than other employees in the same class.

I am not an expert but I do know something about anxiety and other emotional disorders, and if you are exhibiting symptoms after only a few days/weeks in the position, then the tendency to such a disorder was already there. At most the new duties brought them to the surface - they did not cause them to appear out of nowhere. That isn't how it works.

I can't stop you from quitting and applying for UI if that's really what you want to do, but I will be exceedingly surprised if you are approved.

[chyvan]

http://edd.ca.gov/UIBDG/Voluntary_Qu...0.htm#Transfer

That is what CA has to say on the topic.

The problem I see with what you propose is that it sure looks like you accepted the new job. I think you'd had a very good chance of getting UI had you told them, "no," immediately. You may not have gotten the UI in the intial determination, but after a couple of appeals, someone would have eventually agreed with you.

Also, as you read through things, CA requires that you tried to resolve disputes like this with your employer. The employer is supposed to get a chance to fix things before you up and quit. Have you expressed any displeasure with the situation to someone where you work that is in a position to put you in a position more like the one you had?

I "quit" my job over substantial changes, and it was an 11 month wait through appeals (in total 5) to get approved, and an additional month to start getting regular payments. You mention your debt, so you have to be certain that you can afford to wait for a favorable decision.

If you want to go the medical route, you've just got to get a doctor involved.

http://edd.ca.gov/UIBDG/Voluntary_Qu...e of Physician



The first paragraph in the above really makes that point clear.

[PandorasBox]

I had a supervisor I hated with a passion, in a job I was bored to death at.

Solution: CraigsList, etc., are open 24/7/365. So I would go to work, then come home and put in applications for a new position. It's a good idea to check the "do not contact current employer" button.

[Dogmatique]

I had a supervisor I hated with a passion, in a job I was bored to death at.

Solution: CraigsList, etc., are open 24/7/365. So I would go to work, then come home and put in applications for a new position. It's a good idea to check the "do not contact current employer" button.

Times like this I wish we had a "like" button!

[davidmcbeth3]

I imagine the OP will quit and will find that no UI will be given and then have more anxiety (give me a break).