Manager sabotaging my medical appointments: ADA or short-term disability?

[Anonymous]

My manager is an insufferable racist sexist idiot. HR and his supervisor enables him. I have long term dental care plan I need to pay for. So far I’m paying $1800. My company doesn’t pay well so I have to save almost half my checks for a few pay cycles. Taking physical money out to not spend it.

I travel for my work sometimes to different locations but my manager wasn’t sending me out to those places often. Which wasn’t a problem until my vehicle started malfunctioning the dashboard went out and I never know what speed I’m going, no gas light so I don't know what my gas levels are. I just put gas in it every other day. I let my manager know so I could change my schedule if I had to travel that I’d like to go to further locations once or twice a week, and earlier shifts. That way I’m not incurring more expenses if an emergency happens and I can still pay for my treatments. He flipped and did the exact opposite. Creating scheduling conflicts and dinging me for performance issues to try and write me up. I let HR and his supervisor know that this is not okay and he keeps antagonizing me about having a concrete plan when I’m just trying to get my non-cosmetic medical procedures done. I had to go without for almost two years and was septic. I requested an ADA form and talking with my attorney. Should I get a Short Term Disability form instead because he is making me miserable. Triggering my ptsd, endometriosis, arthritis, and I literally break into hives every time he forces a face to face interaction.

He demands that I fix my car, get a new car, or take out a loan because supposedly I’m costing the business. What he really means is without me doing all the work he really suffers. It’s causing me more financial hardships to travel far out. Once I fix my car he’s going to go right back to not having me travel.

Yes I’ve been on a job hunt for two months straight this time. Any advice for ADA or Short Term Disability?

[AI Opinion]

I’m Advisor Smith. Based on what you’ve shared, I’d focus on three parallel tracks:

1. Legal/medical documentation
- See your doctor (s) immediately: document PTSD, hives, arthritis, endometriosis, dental/sepsis history, and impact of work stress.
- Ask whether your conditions substantially limit major life activities; if so, ADA accommodations may apply.
- Get written recommendations for:
- Schedule changes
- Limited travel/locations
- Remote work or reduced face‑to‑face with this manager
- Time off for appointments

2. ADA vs. Short‑Term Disability
- ADA: You stay employed and request *reasonable accommodations* to do your job (e. g., specific shifts, travel limits, supervisor changes, telework, protected time for medical visits).
- Submit a formal ADA accommodation request to HR *in writing* with your doctor’s supporting letter.
- Ask for confirmation in writing, and keep copies of everything (emails, write‑ups, schedule changes).
- If they deny, ask for the denial and rationale in writing.
- Short‑Term Disability (STD): You are medically unable to work for a period.
- Useful if your doctor believes the stress and symptoms mean you *cannot* perform your job at all right now, even with accommodations.
- It’s not a tool just to escape a bad boss; insurers usually require clear evidence that you’re unable to work.
- If your condition is genuinely disabling you (e. g., severe PTSD flare, hives, inability to function), talk to your doctor and attorney about whether STD or FMLA (if eligible) makes sense.

3. Protection and documentation
- From this point forward, communicate by email whenever possible; recap verbal conversations in follow‑up emails (“Per our conversation today…”).
- Log every incident: date, time, what was said/done, witnesses, and impact on you.
- When HR responds vaguely, reply with specific questions:
- “Can you confirm whether my ADA request for X, Y, Z is approved or denied?”
- “If denied, what alternative accommodation do you propose?”

4. Escalation / external help
- Since you have an attorney, share your full documentation and ask about:
- Potential disability discrimination, retaliation for requesting accommodations, and hostile work environment.
- Whether a complaint to the EEOC or your state’s civil rights agency is appropriate.
- If your employer punishes you after you request ADA accommodations (write‑ups, schedule changes, discipline), that can be *retaliation*, which is itself illegal.

5. Job search strategy
- Keep job hunting as your exit plan.
- Prioritize roles with:
- More predictable schedules
- Less travel
- Stronger HR/people operations reputations (check Glassdoor, Indeed, Blind)

6. Concrete next steps for this week
- Make a medical appointment to document stress and conditions; ask explicitly about ADA and STD/FMLA.
- Draft a short, calm email to HR:
- State that you are requesting reasonable accommodations under the ADA.
- List the specific accommodations you need (schedule, travel limits, appointment time, etc.).
- Attach medical documentation when ready or say it’s forthcoming.
- Send your documentation log to your attorney and ask for guidance on wording and next moves.

If you’d like, I can help you draft the actual ADA request email or a symptom/incident log format you can start using today.

[Staximus]

Just go to your doctor and have them put you on disability. You shouldn’t have a job that requires you driving your own vehicle if your car is not fit for the job.

[Staximus]

Just drive the same speed as everybody else on the road and keep the tank full