Fired for missing a mandatory staff meeting due to health reasons which I didn't let the employer know about before being fired.

by Eric
(Austin Texas)

I recieved an award for employee of the month of Nov.2008. I was late to work a few times in march 2009 as I was going through chemo-therapy treatment. Employer gave me a 30 day probation for being late to work, I did not tell them at the time that I was going through chemo-therapy treatment until after I was fired and asked for my job back. Employer said they thought I was drinking or having family issues. They said it's alright with them to come back to work but they do not have anything available now unless someone else gets fired or quits. I have documentation of my treatment/award for employee of the month Nov.2008.


Hi Eric,

Oh Eric, why would you not tell the employer before you were fired?

Did the employer follow their own progressive discipline policy? Did you follow the proper call-off procedures? This would be your hope .. if the employer broke their own rules.

You might try to get unemployment with the medical documentation (the employee of the month award is irrelevant), but you are the one that did not give the employer the opportunity to do the right thing by you because you didn't inform the employer about what was going on. They didn't have the opportunity to get you on FMLA or STD or even make an exception of any kind due to you keeping them in the dark.