They Knew I Was Out - But Left Me On-Call Anyway

 In early May 2025, I was officially out on protected FMLA leave. My work cell phone was off, as it should have been. I had already submitted my updated FMLA extension, signed by my doctor. That documentation was on file, clear, and timely.

Despite this, I was still left on the on-call schedule, assigned to cover a full 12-hour shift from 8 AM to 8 PM. During that time, I received an assignment for a Plan of Care Orientation (POCO) task to be completed.

It wasn't a system glitch. It was a person.

The administrator responsible for managing on-call coverage knew I was out. In fact, she had done this before - leaving me on the schedule while I was out, despite being told otherwise. 

By this point, my FMLA leave was well-documented and formally approved. Those who contacted me were fully aware I was not permitted to engage in any work-related duties. Given the timing and content of these messages- particularly the one from the recruiter involving student-related tasks - I believe this may have been an intentional attempt to create the appearance of negligence on my part. If so, that would not only be retaliatory, but deeply unethical 

This wasn't a miscommunication. This was a pattern.

To make matters worse, the administrator didn't post the "coverage update" announcement (the one that informs staff and clients who to contact for emergencies) until after 3:00 PM - well into the shift.

That means for hours, any emergency calls from staff or clients likely went unanswered or misrouted. Why? Because the person they listed as on-call - me - wasn't even working.

Why this matters:

- This is FMLA interference, plain and simple.

- It created risk to client safety and compromised staff support.

- It shows negligent leadership by someone fully aware of my leave status - someone with a repeated history of doing this.

I wasn't asking for favors. I followed the law.

They didn't.

-- K