How to cope w/ toxic work environment and apathy in the post COVID world
June 24, 2020 9:47 AM Subscribe
I work at a doctors office in a major metropolitan area. Since we have been back from COVID lockdown, the regulations have been feeble at best, and the environment in the office is so toxic and cliqueish to begin with, my being a vocal, outspoken former hypochondriac with OCD tendencies is not only getting me into trouble somehow, but also has led to a bit of bullying from my apathetic, thinks this virus is somehow political, coworkers
I have gone to management. I have pointed out specific areas where we are leaving ourselves open for viral spread. Areas where social distancing becomes impossible and things that needs to be reiterated to staff and patients. The last email I sent asked for a reminder to employees to ALWAYS wear a mask in the building, something that according to the CDC and health department, should be happening but is not. My manager told me that this had already been addressed. Yet employees are constantly in shared spaces with their masks off. Our patient demographic is probably 80% high risk patients over the age of 65. I have urged regulations (single entrance/exit, signs on doors stating to secure masks before entering, reduced patient load, having patients wait in vehicles until appointment times instead of in our waiting rooms in chairs/couches that no one seems to be effectively disinfecting regularly) and they have instead taken them away. Our employee daily screening process is entirely dependent on the employee going to a front desk and taking their temp themselves at the start of each day. No questionnaires. Just relying on each employee to do the right thing each day. The patient survey is also outdated and not representative of current CDC symptoms. Costco and my hair salon are using more precautions than we are. I have also pointed this out to management and physicians to no avail.
This is all stressing me out so much that my hands shake while I’m at work. I’m trying to keep my head down and keep myself safe and ignore it, but it’s hard for an outspoken passionate person like myself to do this and stay sane. I have begun documenting all of the things that are not right, but this really only enrages me more. Unfortunately, I need this job right now, so walking out isn’t really an option, otherwise, trust and believe I would have put this place in my rear view. I’ve thought about calling my local health department anonymously, but this would apparently be our 3rd complaint, and they have not done much to change it since then.
Anybody learning how to deal with an employer that won’t take this seriously? And/or a staff of coworkers that are either too apathetic to fight, or too scared of losing their jobs in the middle of a global employment crisis?
I have gone to management. I have pointed out specific areas where we are leaving ourselves open for viral spread. Areas where social distancing becomes impossible and things that needs to be reiterated to staff and patients. The last email I sent asked for a reminder to employees to ALWAYS wear a mask in the building, something that according to the CDC and health department, should be happening but is not. My manager told me that this had already been addressed. Yet employees are constantly in shared spaces with their masks off. Our patient demographic is probably 80% high risk patients over the age of 65. I have urged regulations (single entrance/exit, signs on doors stating to secure masks before entering, reduced patient load, having patients wait in vehicles until appointment times instead of in our waiting rooms in chairs/couches that no one seems to be effectively disinfecting regularly) and they have instead taken them away. Our employee daily screening process is entirely dependent on the employee going to a front desk and taking their temp themselves at the start of each day. No questionnaires. Just relying on each employee to do the right thing each day. The patient survey is also outdated and not representative of current CDC symptoms. Costco and my hair salon are using more precautions than we are. I have also pointed this out to management and physicians to no avail.
This is all stressing me out so much that my hands shake while I’m at work. I’m trying to keep my head down and keep myself safe and ignore it, but it’s hard for an outspoken passionate person like myself to do this and stay sane. I have begun documenting all of the things that are not right, but this really only enrages me more. Unfortunately, I need this job right now, so walking out isn’t really an option, otherwise, trust and believe I would have put this place in my rear view. I’ve thought about calling my local health department anonymously, but this would apparently be our 3rd complaint, and they have not done much to change it since then.
Anybody learning how to deal with an employer that won’t take this seriously? And/or a staff of coworkers that are either too apathetic to fight, or too scared of losing their jobs in the middle of a global employment crisis?
If you can't change them, and you can't leave the job, then you need to make yourself as safe as you can.
Only way I see to do this is with a really good mask. I see a HUGE variation around me in quality/reliability of masks. You get one like this and you sew its edges so it is tight to your face (if necessary), and insert a wire at the top so it's tight to your nose. I have tried this vs an N95, and I can feel that everything I breathe is getting filtered through the sewing-fitted ironcloth mask, whereas a little unfiltered air gets around the edges of an N95.
You will need to step outside periodically to take the mask off to prevent a headache, probably.
posted by fingersandtoes at 10:01 AM on June 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
Only way I see to do this is with a really good mask. I see a HUGE variation around me in quality/reliability of masks. You get one like this and you sew its edges so it is tight to your face (if necessary), and insert a wire at the top so it's tight to your nose. I have tried this vs an N95, and I can feel that everything I breathe is getting filtered through the sewing-fitted ironcloth mask, whereas a little unfiltered air gets around the edges of an N95.
You will need to step outside periodically to take the mask off to prevent a headache, probably.
posted by fingersandtoes at 10:01 AM on June 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
This sounds so stressful. I'm sorry you are going through this. I would just want to scream at everyone all day. Are all of your co-workers in the camp of 'this is fine'? Or do you have some like-minded coworkers? If so, I would reach out and get their input. Even just being able to vent to them could be a way to cope as you are taking further action elsewhere. And they may have other ideas that are specific to your situation.
I would try the health department again. Sometimes consequences don't kick in until there are multiple complaints, and you need to be a part of establishing that pattern. And if there are other managers besides your direct report you can reach out to about this, it would definitely be appropriate to seek them out, since your manager is not adequately responding to your concerns.
posted by kaelynski at 11:06 AM on June 24, 2020 [4 favorites]
I would try the health department again. Sometimes consequences don't kick in until there are multiple complaints, and you need to be a part of establishing that pattern. And if there are other managers besides your direct report you can reach out to about this, it would definitely be appropriate to seek them out, since your manager is not adequately responding to your concerns.
posted by kaelynski at 11:06 AM on June 24, 2020 [4 favorites]
Is your office part of a larger medical group? Are your physicians affiliated with hospitals? Any chance you could appeal to them?
Ultimately, though, I think your office is telling you a lot about what they value and where they stand on stuff like this... I know you need this job, but have you looked around at what else is out there at least? It's a tough time to be job-searching, but maybe you should consider putting out feelers. You could end up job-searching anyway if your office gets shut down after hosting a superspreader...
posted by mskyle at 12:40 PM on June 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
Ultimately, though, I think your office is telling you a lot about what they value and where they stand on stuff like this... I know you need this job, but have you looked around at what else is out there at least? It's a tough time to be job-searching, but maybe you should consider putting out feelers. You could end up job-searching anyway if your office gets shut down after hosting a superspreader...
posted by mskyle at 12:40 PM on June 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
This is shocking to me. I've been in doctor's offices several times during the pandemic. The infection prevention protocols I've experienced there - and this is across more than one health system - have struck me as stringent and consistent. Of course you're a wreck. It's like you're the only one on the Titanic yelling 'Iceberg!'
What I'm going to suggest is a bit subversive but have you considered leveraging social media to call them out publicly? You'd have to create anonymous profiles (the subversive part) but it would enable you to tweet at your hospital or health system with pics (careful not to violate HIPAA with anything identifiable with respect to patients) that show employees (again, protect the employees' identity as much as possible) not wearing masks, waiting rooms without the ability to socially distance, etc. I would recommend tweeting or posting as a patient. Employers tend to take the concerns of the public (customers) much more seriously than their own employees.
Do you have a friend who works in digital media? Do you know a Communications professor? These folks are really good at crafting and hash tagging messages to get a desired result.
I do want to underline that there's some risk in taking this approach. Your toxic workplace might undertake an outing campaign to figure out who the tweeter is, whether employee or patient. They might even theorize that it's you given that you've been vocal about these issues. I also would set your expectations pretty low around the ability to have this undercover campaign payoff in the longer-term. If it works, it might simply result in some short-term fixes and then major backsliding. But that short-term payoff could buy you some time if you decide that this is untenable and you want to look for a new job.
posted by MissPitts at 4:13 PM on June 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
What I'm going to suggest is a bit subversive but have you considered leveraging social media to call them out publicly? You'd have to create anonymous profiles (the subversive part) but it would enable you to tweet at your hospital or health system with pics (careful not to violate HIPAA with anything identifiable with respect to patients) that show employees (again, protect the employees' identity as much as possible) not wearing masks, waiting rooms without the ability to socially distance, etc. I would recommend tweeting or posting as a patient. Employers tend to take the concerns of the public (customers) much more seriously than their own employees.
Do you have a friend who works in digital media? Do you know a Communications professor? These folks are really good at crafting and hash tagging messages to get a desired result.
I do want to underline that there's some risk in taking this approach. Your toxic workplace might undertake an outing campaign to figure out who the tweeter is, whether employee or patient. They might even theorize that it's you given that you've been vocal about these issues. I also would set your expectations pretty low around the ability to have this undercover campaign payoff in the longer-term. If it works, it might simply result in some short-term fixes and then major backsliding. But that short-term payoff could buy you some time if you decide that this is untenable and you want to look for a new job.
posted by MissPitts at 4:13 PM on June 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
Have you looked at your local rules for drawing unemployment due to inadequate workplace precautions for COVID? Would that income make it possible to leave / negotiate for furlough?
posted by momus_window at 6:37 PM on June 24, 2020
posted by momus_window at 6:37 PM on June 24, 2020
Our employee daily screening process is entirely dependent on the employee going to a front desk and taking their temp themselves at the start of each day. No questionnaires. Just relying on each employee to do the right thing each day.
Have you seen any evidence that a questionnaire would make any difference? Because it seems like then it would have to be someone's job to review it for everyone, every day. I will be honest that while I am very concerned about your situation and would be horrified if my doctor's office was this lax, I think there's not much more your employer can do here unless they implement Covid testing for staff. They can't force people to behave a certain way outside of work, and I'm not sure a questionnaire (completed by everyone every day?) would change that.
I’ve thought about calling my local health department anonymously, but this would apparently be our 3rd complaint, and they have not done much to change it since then.
The third complaint from you? Or are you saying you've heard this from others? It seems to me that more complaints are a good thing.
Also, Covid seems to be majorly spiking across the country now. Is your office having conversations about any of this? Could you take advantage of this time to see if anyone else has concerns? I feel like you probably need some allies in the office, and that others need to start raising these concerns (especially if you have a reputation for being OCD and a hypochondriac, as you've said).
posted by bluedaisy at 7:00 PM on November 11, 2020
Have you seen any evidence that a questionnaire would make any difference? Because it seems like then it would have to be someone's job to review it for everyone, every day. I will be honest that while I am very concerned about your situation and would be horrified if my doctor's office was this lax, I think there's not much more your employer can do here unless they implement Covid testing for staff. They can't force people to behave a certain way outside of work, and I'm not sure a questionnaire (completed by everyone every day?) would change that.
I’ve thought about calling my local health department anonymously, but this would apparently be our 3rd complaint, and they have not done much to change it since then.
The third complaint from you? Or are you saying you've heard this from others? It seems to me that more complaints are a good thing.
Also, Covid seems to be majorly spiking across the country now. Is your office having conversations about any of this? Could you take advantage of this time to see if anyone else has concerns? I feel like you probably need some allies in the office, and that others need to start raising these concerns (especially if you have a reputation for being OCD and a hypochondriac, as you've said).
posted by bluedaisy at 7:00 PM on November 11, 2020
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posted by greta simone at 9:58 AM on June 24, 2020 [9 favorites]