Job is not a fit! I need a script to transfer/leave

May 25, 2021 5:04 PM

I finally got a (part-time, temporary, May-November). It is much more physically demanding than I thought it would be and I would like to professionally leave (or find an alternative that is not so strenuous within). Please help me word an e-mail.

Here I sit readying my epsom salt bath (epsom, it's not just for older people anymore!)
Today and each of the last five days I have walked ten miles on concrete. My previously broken ankle and previously injured lower back (which I've managed at a dull roar for years) are talking to me. (I bought fancy expensive supportive shoes before I started.)

This is a job I really thought I would love, and I still would like it if I weren't spending 2 hours a night returning my body to default. I would like to get another appointment with HR and ask them what is available that isn't so much walking and standing. (It is a huge company and I know they are still 150 people short -- not in my dept., but everywhere.)

I feel bad because I went through 5 or 6 days of training, and the managers are very nice, but I can't kill myself for a part-time job, no matter how fun it seems.

Also: I know I should prepare myself for a "get lost, then". They seem to need people as I mentioned above.

posted by Rumi'sLeftSock to Work & Money (6 answers total)

Best answer: Some of this is going to depend on how that kind of process works at this company, which nobody here is going to know. If the managers are really nice and you have good rapport with them, you might start there and just plead your case, they might be willing to point you in the right direction or find you a role that is less physically demanding. If there's a known process for transfers or internal applications to other roles, that might be an option. If you have been assigned a specific HR contact, you could reach out to them.

I think the only thing you can really control here is your own messaging, and your best shot is to approach this as grateful and polite and interested in finding something that works for both parties. You're right that you might just get shown the door, but that'll be on them if that's the case. A lot of times in big orgs like this there is a good bit of leeway for a well-regarded worker who is pleasant to work with - attitude goes a long way.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:12 PM on May 25, 2021

I would like to get another appointment with HR and ask them what is available that isn't so much walking and standing. (It is a huge company and I know they are still 150 people short -- not in my dept., but everywhere.)

I'm not a lawyer, this is not legal advice, but:

If you are interested in staying in a modified role that your body can handle, your magic words are "reasonable accommodation." That link is to the ADA page about it, and that assumes you're in the U.S., of course. If the company has a reasonably professional HR department (and yeah, HR is there to protect the company, not its employees) they'll understand what this means: you're looking for modified duties that are reasonable for them to accommodate up to the point of "undue hardship."

They can still say no, but you won't know if you don't ask.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:50 PM on May 25, 2021

Response by poster: Sadly, the ADA is fairly unenforceable (ask me how I know).
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 8:06 PM on May 25, 2021 [2 favorites]

Can you use a mobility aid like a bicycle or a push scooter? It'd look kinda silly but if it helps you move around all the better.
posted by kschang at 5:20 AM on May 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Kschang, the last thing I want to do is draw attention to myself. But that is certainly a doable solution.
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 7:09 AM on May 26, 2021

Response by poster: ...and just like that, an email from my supervisor to call and discuss options to "accommodate less activity."

Wish me luck!
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 7:11 AM on May 26, 2021 [9 favorites]