Month: March 2012

I’m still employed.

As far as I know, I’m still reporting to work on Monday. I haven’t been suspended … yet.

Remember when I said they were going to send out emails? Well, I didn’t get one, but the gal who is in the same boat as myself (she opted out of the flu shot, too), got one and in essence? It threatened, AGAIN, to suspend her if she didn’t cave in and get the flu shot.

Okay now I’m just getting annoyed. Are we going to do this or not? Stop dangling this over my head – stop threatening me – STOP BULLYING ME. If you need to suspend me, let’s do it. Suspend me and then let’s move on. This whole “we’re going to do this if you don’t comply” crap is just stupid. And childish.

And rude, if you want the truth.

I’m now more determined than ever to resist this stupid “requirement” because it’s just asinine to me that they are FORCING people to get the flu shot. It should be an individual choice with the understanding that if you get the flu, then you’ll need to stay home for three days, possibly without pay, until you get over the symptoms and are healthy enough to return to work. I was reading on the company Intranet Friday and that’s the way it USED to be. In fact, one employee asked why it wasn’t still that way and the administration wouldn’t answer her.

This whole suspending people for the duration of the flu “epidemic” (and I still have serious doubts that we actually have one in Missouri right now) is just dumb. I can see sending me home if I get sick so I don’t spread my germs to other people, but if I remain healthy, it’s a waste of resources and puts the people I work with in a bind because now they’re short handed.

So many people get sick from the flu shot and are out close to a week after receiving the flu shot. Wouldn’t it make more business sense to leave the flu shot as a choice and send employees home who get sick to recover than to send a small number of perfectly healthy employees home just because they didn’t give in?

Again. If one works on an infectious disease floor or around people who have compromised immune systems or even children, then I can certainly get on board with the flu shot. Otherwise, leave it as a choice – DO NOT FORCE ME TO INJECT MYSELF WITH POISONS.

*sigh* At any rate, nothing has been decided so far. It’s still in the bullying stage and the “threats” are getting more “severe.”

Fine. Suspend me. I’m ready. Because I’m sure not getting the shot so let’s do this – suspend me and let’s get this over with. The sooner we get this started, the sooner I can get back to work.

I just pray I don’t have to go through this every freakin’ year. (But everyone tells me that the flu “epidemic” is pretty rare and this year is unusual. Hmm … I just wonder if the drug companies are feeling the economic pinch hence the whole “epidemic” this year. Pardon me, but I’m a cynic at heart).

So there’s a very real possibility that I will be suspended at work.

As I was settling into my cubicle this morning, I noticed the gal that sits next to me was staring at me.

I looked at her.

She stared back.

I raised my eyebrows. “Morning,” I said, thinking she looked a little weird.

“Have you checked your email?”

I laughed. “I just got here, so, um, no.”

“Just read it.”

I’ve worked with this gal long enough to know that her expression? Was scared. Terrified, if you want the truth. And she looked white. As in, “I’m in shock, white.”

I signed on and held my breath.

It was an email sent out to the entire company letting them know that Springfield was on the verge of having a flu epidemic. Our flu numbers were rising and if the CDC declared it an epidemic, that would mean I would be suspended without pay.

(And so would the gal I work with).

Because you see, way back in October of last year, I was given a choice. I could get the flu vaccine, like 97% of the rest of the company, or I could refuse the flu vaccine and gamble on the fact that we wouldn’t have a flu epidemic this year. BUT, if the CDC declared a flu epidemic, than I would be suspended without pay until the epidemic was declared “over.”

I didn’t have to think about it very long.

I said HELL TO THE NO.

I’m not a big vaccine sort of person. Sure. I believe children should be vaccinated for the big stuff, and I’m okay with the tetanus shot every ten years or so, heck, I’m even okay with repeating Hep B every twenty years or so, but getting a flu vaccination every year and gambling that the vaccine you get might just be the dominant strain that season just doesn’t make sense to me. And do you know how many people actually get sick after having the vaccine? Let’s put it this way, I seriously know of MORE people getting sick after having the vaccine than of people NOT getting sick.

And not to sound all conspiracy theory on you or anything? But I don’t trust the government, ANY government, regardless of political party. Seriously. There’s no telling what sort of gunk they are injecting people with every year.

And here’s something else I find odd – the CDC is claiming that St. Louis and Kansas City are “high” on the flu epidemic radar and yet, have you read/heard any news of this “outspread?” This is the stuff that the media salivates over and love to blow out of proportion so they can scare people half to death. So, I have serious doubts about the CDC’s “reporting.”

So no. I’m not going to have the flu vaccine. And if I have to get suspended in order to keep myself healthy and gunk free, so be it.

Kevin is not too happy with me. He thinks I should just have it – what’s the big deal? But it’s a big deal to me and I just can’t bring myself to say yes to having a needle jabbed into my arm and having poison injected into my body. And even if I were to cave at this point and have the injection, I can’t afford to have a reaction and get sick – we’re going to Chicago next week.

I’m sorry, but I just don’t buy into this whole flu vaccine thing. And I REALLY don’t appreciate how my company is bullying me into having it. They have taken my choice away, really. Because if I don’t get it, then I will be penalized.

Okay. So I’ll be penalized. And I will remain healthy and gunk free, thank you very much.

I mean, I GET the whole we’re working in the health care industry and they just want to try and protect their employees and those they come into contact with. I get it. Truly. And if I worked around a bunch of urgent care patients, or around children, then I would probably give in and have the vaccination. But I don’t. I work in a clinic where people show up in pain, not contagious. In fact, our doctors won’t see patients who are contagious and/or have any sort of illness because you can’t do surgery on a sick person.

So I’m a bit stressed. Because I honestly don’t mean to be difficult and I know if I get suspended, then it will put the girls I work in a bind, but people, I just can’t do it. I’ve agonized over this all day – ALL DAY. I’ve gone back and forth. I’ve weighed my pros and cons. I’ve talked to Kevin several times. I’ve talked to the girls at work. I even asked our boys their thoughts on the matter and the bottom line?

I JUST CAN’T DO IT.

I don’t have a phobia of needles or anything, again, I’m okay with getting vaccinated every ten years or so. But when something like this is FORCED on me and insisted upon year after year, well, I just can’t help but be suspicious and leery.

The company is supposed to be sending out an email to the people who haven’t been vaccinated tomorrow – I have no idea what it will say. But I’m mentally prepared to deal with whatever happens.

I’m going into this with my eyes wide open and my resolve firmly intact.

Even though I love my job and I’m quite good at it (I’m thoroughly convinced I’ll be one of the best schedulers they’ve EVER had), I’m beginning to wonder if I’m in the right industry given my suspicions and distaste for this sort of thing.

ADDED: One more thing, how do you know that cancers, Alhezimers, Dementia, Parkinson’s, etc aren’t somehow connected to flu shots? After all, people who get the flu shot year after year after year after year after year … that HAS to do something to a person’s body after a while, right? Sure. I don’t have any proof that the flu vaccine is a contributing factor in any of these diseases/disorders, but then again, do you have any proof to show me that it doesn’t?? Just something to think about …