This Manager Makes You Need To Up The Dosage

(My boss calls me into a meeting room to tell me that they have a ‘problem’ with the medications I need to take in order to be able to work with my disabilities. He has particular issues with narcotic painkillers.)

Boss: “Right, I’ll keep this short. We’re going to need to see proof that your prescriptions are genuine and that you are not buying these off the streets.”

Me: “Ok, easy enough. I keep a copy of the repeat prescription with my doctor’s contact details with me in case of queries by police or anyone since they are controlled substances. I’ll happily show you that.”

Boss: “Um, no. You might have made that up.”

Me: “It’s got my doctor’s details right on it; you can give them a call, or I can call them and get them to do a letter or something?”

Boss: “How do I know they are an actual doctor?”

Me: “You can look up the surgery and call them direct from the number on their website to check they are there? They’ve been there for more years than I have. I can get a letter from them if you like with their registered doctor number?”

Boss: “Look, we’re going for a new client that is a religious school right? How do you think we’ll get that contract if they find out we’ve got a druggie on staff?”

Me: *starting to tear up* “I’m disabled and need medications to survive! I’m not a drug addict!”

Boss: “Well, if that was true then you wouldn’t be getting upset would you?”

Me: “What the f*** is your problem with me? I don’t see you hauling anyone else into meeting rooms for taking their inhalers or insulin injections or anything?”

Boss: “Nobody needs painkillers okay? Just don’t bring your drugs near the office.”

(My doctor was pretty incensed to hear that his decisions are being questioned by my manager and has written a fairly scathing letter to our HR department about how my medical history is not the business of my company and he doesn’t appreciate having his profession likened to a drug dealer nor his disabled patients being called ‘druggies’. We’re waiting to see what happens.)