Can the fire me for having a seizure?

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MagicMeerkat
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12 Jan 2017, 1:44 pm

I volunteer at a local animal hospital. I've been there for a few months with no problems. They don't know I'm autistic (but I wonder if they suspect it). When I was in my late teens and early twenties I had seizures now and then. I think they were stress induced. I think they might be coming back because I think I had one at work today. I told them what was going on and that I needed to go home early. The receptionist tried to call my parents to come pick me up and didn't want me walking to the bus stop. The vet working there today told her to let me go ahead because I'm an adult and know how to take care of myself. I explained to her what was going on. The receptionist insisted I call her when I got home to make sure I made it there okay.

I'm SO worried I'm going to get fired for being a liability now. I've read that it's illegal to fire someone for having seizures but I'm not an actual employee and in some careers, an epileptic WOULD be a liability (such as a pilot or bus driver). I've never had a grand-mal seizure and told them that. I'm always conscious, I just get "loopy" and my vision sometimes gets blury. My inside of my head feels like it's "vibrating" or just hurts. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to throw up. I do plan to see a neurologist after I find one. I've been to a neurologist about this before, back when they were worse. But I had trouble communicating back then. Anyhow, can they fire me from a volunteer position for having a potential seizure?


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EzraS
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12 Jan 2017, 1:50 pm

It's hard to put together volunteer and fired. As an employee, unless having a seizure was a danger, like if you were a truck driver, then they would probably face legal trouble for wrongful termination. With the the volunteer thing, I'm not sure if them saying they don't require your assistance any longer, could be classified as discrimination.



rats_and_cats
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12 Jan 2017, 3:34 pm

You're a volunteer? Then you can't really be fired. If you were employed and the seizure wasn't a danger, they would be violating the ADA by firing you. They sound like they're concerned about your health, not looking for a reason to stop you from helping. Especially if it's not a grand mal seizure, I think you're safe. You've been there for a few months so obviously they trust you.



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12 Jan 2017, 5:17 pm

You are protected by disability law.


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12 Jan 2017, 5:30 pm

MagicMeerkat wrote:
I volunteer at a local animal hospital. I've been there for a few months with no problems. They don't know I'm autistic (but I wonder if they suspect it). When I was in my late teens and early twenties I had seizures now and then. I think they were stress induced. I think they might be coming back because I think I had one at work today. I told them what was going on and that I needed to go home early. The receptionist tried to call my parents to come pick me up and didn't want me walking to the bus stop. The vet working there today told her to let me go ahead because I'm an adult and know how to take care of myself. I explained to her what was going on. The receptionist insisted I call her when I got home to make sure I made it there okay.

I'm SO worried I'm going to get fired for being a liability now. I've read that it's illegal to fire someone for having seizures but I'm not an actual employee and in some careers, an epileptic WOULD be a liability (such as a pilot or bus driver). I've never had a grand-mal seizure and told them that. I'm always conscious, I just get "loopy" and my vision sometimes gets blury. My inside of my head feels like it's "vibrating" or just hurts. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to throw up. I do plan to see a neurologist after I find one. I've been to a neurologist about this before, back when they were worse. But I had trouble communicating back then. Anyhow, can they fire me from a volunteer position for having a potential seizure?



My husband lost his job because he was having seizures due to his pain being worse due to his feet. They had to let him go because it was liability issue. They were sad to see him go but they didn't have a choice and they also helped him get on Social Security when he signed up. He worked as a janitor and you can die from a seizure like what if he was cleaning and he had a seizure so he fell down the stairs or he hit his head on something or his tongue rolls to the back of his mouth and he suffocates or he is cleaning the toilet when it happens so his head fall into the bowl and he drowns? I know that can happen so I keep thinking about getting life insurance for him so in case he does die, I am covered and so are my kids. I would have to look into the cost of it though and if they take anyone with pre existing conditions.

To answer your question I don't know if they can let you go from your volunteer work.


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12 Jan 2017, 8:47 pm

That sounds like what my neurologist described as a tourettes tick, I had one bad enough to trigger migraine and a temp depression, bad enough to cause a fall with the loss of focus but not altered consciousness. I've argued it has to be some kind of partial myoclonic seizure, because that's more common and more treatable.

Other than that, a lot of workplaces wouldn't even consider insuring against a person with an existing health condition like this, I'm also disallowed by law to drive or operate machinery, cant get insurance, workplace health and safety insurance and so on, in UK. I'd be breaking the law if I didn't disclose the health risk in such a work place. They can't discriminate if such any condition wouldn't interfere with workplace tasks. The can refuse to take you on if there's too big of a risk to my life.

Volunteering is simply that, you're only sparing your own time not the time or money of the workplace. There I don't think threes strict workplace arrangements with volunteering. Only exception if its some kind of compulsory voluntary working contract, work-for-benefits kind of deal. it differs all over the world. volunteering workplaces often rotate staff regularly to not be overly reliant on too few people.

In the OP instance, the place did the right thing, may get a call to come back, I don't think a veterinary practice is has liabilities, not until if there's animals put in danger.


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Fraser_1990
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12 Jan 2017, 9:25 pm

Volunteers don't get fired. Sometimes they are asked not to come back. But only if they're rude to staff, or preventing them from getting their own work done.

You're certainly not going to be told not to come back for having a seizure. I'm sure they're very much greatful for the free help that you offer them and there only concern will be that you are ok.


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alexbfr
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12 Jan 2017, 11:15 pm

I think you will be fine also.



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13 Jan 2017, 5:32 pm

alexbfr wrote:
I think you will be fine also.


I hope so.


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Noca
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13 Jan 2017, 6:29 pm

It sounds highly unlikely that an animal shelter would refuse to let you volunteer because of any seizure disorder you have.



MagicMeerkat
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13 Jan 2017, 6:46 pm

Noca wrote:
It sounds highly unlikely that an animal shelter would refuse to let you volunteer because of any seizure disorder you have.


It's not an animal shelter, but an animal hospital. I'm interested in being a veterinarian myself in the future. Hopefully, by then I can have whatever's going on sorted out and get on the right medications or whatever it is I need to help me. I think they are stress related.


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Voynich
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13 Jan 2017, 6:53 pm

If you live in an at least relatively civilised nation, I'm certain you'll be fine. As has already been said, you are almost certainly protected. It sounded like they were actually concerned for you. It sounds like they appreciate you. Only very few lines of work have explicit disbarring for epileptics. Most of the rest just need you to be open with them and probably get medical references about the reality of your condition, so that they can, in theory, make adjustments. I'd imagine, though I'm not sure, that this kind of thing applies equally to an 'employee' who isn't actually paid.
I work in an environment that probably isn't a million miles from the nature of your place, and I have a controlled (grand-mal) seizure condition. It has never had a practical effect on my job or their treatment of me.
If you have the right medical advice, the employer should really help you to avoid trigger circumstances, if that's relevant in the longer term. It's in their interests. Good luck.



Noca
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13 Jan 2017, 7:15 pm

MagicMeerkat wrote:
Noca wrote:
It sounds highly unlikely that an animal shelter would refuse to let you volunteer because of any seizure disorder you have.


It's not an animal shelter, but an animal hospital. I'm interested in being a veterinarian myself in the future. Hopefully, by then I can have whatever's going on sorted out and get on the right medications or whatever it is I need to help me. I think they are stress related.

My apologies. I still don't see them having a problem. Providing your employer with medical documentation of your condition is a good idea however if you are going to expect any accommodations or understanding from them.



MagicMeerkat
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13 Jan 2017, 8:00 pm

Voynich wrote:
If you live in an at least relatively civilised nation, I'm certain you'll be fine. As has already been said, you are almost certainly protected. It sounded like they were actually concerned for you. It sounds like they appreciate you. Only very few lines of work have explicit disbarring for epileptics. Most of the rest just need you to be open with them and probably get medical references about the reality of your condition, so that they can, in theory, make adjustments. I'd imagine, though I'm not sure, that this kind of thing applies equally to an 'employee' who isn't actually paid.
I work in an environment that probably isn't a million miles from the nature of your place, and I have a controlled (grand-mal) seizure condition. It has never had a practical effect on my job or their treatment of me.
If you have the right medical advice, the employer should really help you to avoid trigger circumstances, if that's relevant in the longer term. It's in their interests. Good luck.


I wasn't stressed about anything going on there, but the previous night I think someone tried to break-in...or at least was trying to "chase" my apartment.

Noca wrote:
MagicMeerkat wrote:
Noca wrote:
It sounds highly unlikely that an animal shelter would refuse to let you volunteer because of any seizure disorder you have.


It's not an animal shelter, but an animal hospital. I'm interested in being a veterinarian myself in the future. Hopefully, by then I can have whatever's going on sorted out and get on the right medications or whatever it is I need to help me. I think they are stress related.

My apologies. I still don't see them having a problem. Providing your employer with medical documentation of your condition is a good idea however if you are going to expect any accommodations or understanding from them.


I'm taking some time off until I can talk to a doctor and get it figured out.


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