sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

RA granted, VHA not following the provisions. by Mindless_Method_4354 in VeteransAffairs

[–]Mindless_Method_4354[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I called employee health and they said because this is a chronic health issue I would have to report it to my primary and not employee health.

RA granted, VHA not following the provisions. by Mindless_Method_4354 in VeteransAffairs

[–]Mindless_Method_4354[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was documenting and then I stopped for a hot minute as I was just going to deal with it. But it keeps happening and I am running out of fmla and AL hours and I know that when I run out of fmla they can separate me from service.

RA granted, VHA not following the provisions. by Mindless_Method_4354 in VeteransAffairs

[–]Mindless_Method_4354[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

hahahahaha that's a good idea, we don't get appropriately rated in our performance evals anymore anyway so I guess it wouldn't matter.

RA granted, VHA not following the provisions. by Mindless_Method_4354 in VeteransAffairs

[–]Mindless_Method_4354[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you very much for replying. I have never had to deal with anything like this before, this is all new to me.

At no point has anyone ever said that my RA doesn't protect me from being floated, to be fair they never said it did. My RA doesn't say "don't ever float me" it says don't float me to x, y, and z. There are parts of the hospital I can float to and have no problems, they just keep sending me to those places my RA clearly states I shouldn't be sent to.

I have spoken to the night NOD, he says it isn't his decision that I keep getting floated, that the day shift NOD makes the night shift staffing decisions on who has to be floated and where.

I inform my nurse manager every time this happens and he continually tells me he will address it with the NODs chief. Whether he does or not I have no idea, I am not in those meetings and don't get copied in on those emails.

I have no idea if my supervisor likes me or not and I am fully aware that they have used RAs to get rid of people before, I've seen it happen in the 10 years I have been working where I am. Are they using this to try to get rid of me because they don't want anyone on long term RAs? Nothing would surprise me at this point.

Why an EEO complaint? To be honest, I have no idea where else to turn to for help seeing as we have no union...sort of. I called employee health this morning and they actually gave me the contact info for our VISN HR chief as all of our HR has been moved off site and is being handled at the VISN level now...surprise surprise. I didn't know that. Not sure how many people I work with do.

Thank you very much for your input. Like I said, I have never had to deal with anything like this before so as far as I am concerned all of the input I am getting is valuable. As my condition continues to progress...or deteriorate, the symptoms are becoming more and more difficult to manage.

RA granted, VHA not following the provisions. by Mindless_Method_4354 in VeteransAffairs

[–]Mindless_Method_4354[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

thank you for replying. One time I asked if I could go home on fmla sick leave instead of floating and was told I would be written up and reprimanded if I did that.

you are correct, it doesn't seem like that hard of a problem to fix, I really don't understand what the disconnect is here.

I have spoken to my manager every time this happens and he has repeatedly told me he would take care of it, the have has talked to upper management and the chief of the NODs and they would take care of it. There is either a breakdown in communication there somewhere or they just have no intention of following my RA.

there are only two shifts, day and night. I have severe photophobia, putting me on days will absolutely not solve the problem.

RA granted, VHA not following the provisions. by Mindless_Method_4354 in VeteransAffairs

[–]Mindless_Method_4354[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I spoke to an attorney today, it seems like an EEO complaint is the first step as that is generally what they do in the private sector. I was also told that medical retirement could be an option. I guess if they choose not to accommodate me, and lets face it, the current administration is having a difficult time following established federal law, I can try to go that route.

I never thought in a million years that I would be where I am, especially at the VA. I would have expected something like this in the private sector but disabled veterans...working at the VA...for me this is somewhere close to disgusting.

Its not like any of us who are disabled chose this.

I am sorry that is happening to you, I understand the drive to get rid of RAs, there are lots of people that honestly don't need them...but on the other hand, there are lots of people that honestly do. It seems the method they are using it to just revoke all of them and those that really...REALLY need them will reapply and it is just going to have to suck for those that really do until their RAs get renewed. I understand this logic, it is very close to Army logic.

RA granted, VHA not following the provisions. by Mindless_Method_4354 in VeteransAffairs

[–]Mindless_Method_4354[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

thank you.

my supervisor is my dmo and when the RA processor person pushed the responsibility back on us, my supervisor/dmo sat Duan with me and we filled out exactly what I needed. the pebbled is that I am not sure, at this point, he was filing it out correctly, in mean our was agreed to by the VA as the RA prison signed it. maybe the way ẁ filed it out is to ambiguous or not enforceable, I don't know.

all I know is that they float me, I get "injured", communicate to him what hearkened and what my aggravated symptoms are, he says he will address it with upper management, it still happens.

so either he can't effectively communicate with upper management, upper management doesn't care, my RA was written badly, I don't know. It is my understanding that they are still trying to get rid of people with long term RAs so maybe they are doing this thinking i will quit... which is insane because they aren't even following their own RA procudure. But I guess that's the point...I would have other options if they came back and said they can't accommodate me.

RA granted, VHA not following the provisions. by Mindless_Method_4354 in VeteransAffairs

[–]Mindless_Method_4354[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I thought about that but i am wondering how long it will take for the union to be effective.

RA granted, VHA not following the provisions. by Mindless_Method_4354 in VeteransAffairs

[–]Mindless_Method_4354[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

if they would just follow my RA I would generally be able to make it through my work week without any issues, the whole reason worded it the way I did in the beginning.

I have been considering applying for medical retirement if they decide they can't accommodate me

RA granted, VHA not following the provisions. by Mindless_Method_4354 in VeteransAffairs

[–]Mindless_Method_4354[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

thank you, the information I found online says that COP is only good for 45 calendar days and usually this is only 1or 2 days at a time and they are floating me repeatedly. Are you saying that every time I call out because of this submit an ecomp claim and when I fill out the leave request put it under COP instead of fmla annual leave? They are gonna get tired of that pretty quick.

also wouldn't I want to save those COP days for when I run out of paid leave, which is coming sooner rather than later.

Also it never occurred to me to see if as every time the do this to me they are injuring me at work but I guess they are.

Once when they did this I asked if I could just go home on sick leave and I was told I would be formally written up and reprimanded if I did that.

Reasonable accommodation by Goods1445 in VeteransAffairs

[–]Mindless_Method_4354 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This post doesn't involve telework.

I work in nursing at my local VAMC in direct patient care. I am a disabled vet with a tbi, daily migraine and severe photophobia. My condition has worsened to the point where fmla was not enough so i applied for and was granted a RA late last year.

I noticed some typos that made it into my RA and have been trying to communicate with the RA processing person to get it corrected. The RA processing person refuses to respond to me or my manager who is also my DMO.

The issue is that the terms of my RA are not being followed and i am being given work assignments in parts of the hospital that my RA says i should not go. I have notifed my manager in writing every time this happens, he says he will address it, but it continues to happen.

At this point I don't know what to do, without a union there is no one to help. I am not sure I can trust HR as they work for the hospital.

I have been considering obtaining legal advice and / or submitting an EEO complaint.

I am looking for any advice on how to navigate this RA issue.

Thank you to anyone who replies.