Thread regarding Elevance Health (Anthem) layoffs

HR isn’t terming anyone because of an accommodation. Managers decide who stays and who goes. They get a target from leadership and they have to pick - it’s smartest to keep the most productive.

@153 Completely agree! I can see my providers' faces drop as soon as I mention my health insurance coverage is through Anthem.

@14m I am glad you got an accommodation which seems to be permanent - why is it that HR is allowed to only give a year then term someone under the same circumstances. Tell me again there is no favoritism in this toxic hole. If you a self thinker not a kool aid drinker you pay for it.

I have multiple providers and each appointment is spent hearing how much they hate this place - how difficult they are to work with, how greedy they are.

I received an ADA accommodation for my anxiety and ADD and now work from home. Similar to you, I was nervous at first but I also knew that ultimately my work would be impacted if not addressed. The process was pretty easy and my leadership was understanding. Even if that were not the case, my anxiety and attention difficulties were already well documented by my provider, who also agreed with my need for the ADA, so EH didn’t really have much say so. It’s a disability, and you are protected under the law from discrimination.

I’d say, talk to your doctor and connect with HR. You may be surprised at how accommodating they are.

Friends with any type of issue needing an accommodation -

The ADA is federal law. As such, it does involve a process. We can get into how unequally RTO is enforced but it's not actually solving the immediate concern which is getting an accommodation.

Go to Request Accommodation on the intranet. Start the conversation about your needs. You will absolutely have to provide medical documentation as required by law. That said, people have gotten the WFH accommodation for many types of disabilities. You will not know if it's possible for you without going through the process.

An accommodation to WFH does not equate to getting chastised over not meeting the RTO requirements for your role. The purpose is to prevent that. Again, you will not know until you start the process.

Please note that the company will not tell you what accommodation to ask for nor do they have to by law. Come to the table with what you need, be it WFH or some other type.

@11w This had to be the d-mbest statement I’ve ever heard. RTO has nothing to do with offshoring jobs. RTO is a way to reduce headcount without paying severance. They say it’s for “collaboration”, but when I go in to the office I don’t see anyone talk to each other except for the people who work for the State Medicaid plan.

@11c Find a new position that’s fully remote externally. If you aren’t in the office, you’re proving that your job could be done offshore.

@11c sadly they do NOT CARE

@zv The more I go into the office, the worse my medical conditions become. That may work for some people depending on the diagnosis, but for my condition, commuting an hour one way to an office where I work with nobody is negatively impacting an already long-term medical condition. That is why I searched for a fully remote position years ago until this company decided two years ago to pull the rug out from under me.

I second HRT. + If your care team isn’t promoting exposure therapy and exercise, and just loading you up on Rx, find a new care team. In this environment, I’d figure out a way to do a day in the office. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.

@zp they do but it’s also up to the woman to seek proper care. Going to a mental health practice won’t solve the menopause issue.

@xz PTSD can be caused by a variety of things, near death experience was my issue, and after providing all required documentation the accommodation was approved for one year only. Despite a formally coded diagnosis for 6 prior years. It did not get reapproved and I was told I had to go in or resign. Since I don't have the extra money for 6 paid rides every month which is what I needed to go in - I got termed when I did not go in. It happens

@y2 Companies need to start recognizing women going through menopause is a thing. I find it telling how many middle-aged women getting riffed. It’s easier to get rid of them than ride out this time in their life despite their knowledge and work experience. Weird because you’d think a Healthcare company would be one of the first companies to recognize this and not just partner with Maven. It takes time to find out what works and having more flexibility during this time would be helpful.

If you are a middle aged woman and you haven’t looked into progesterone and exercise as a first line of defense, highly recommend. Hormone replacement therapy is life changing.

I think most of us could claim ADHD (me, diagnosed in childhood) and if PTSD isn’t directly related to the office (which - there haven’t been any security incidents) then I doubt it would be granted. The problem is that people abuse the flexibility which makes it harder for everyone. I struggled with debilitating anxiety upon return to office myself, went to therapy, and my therapist had me lean into exposure therapy + regular exercise. It took months but it works. In an environment where they’re actively RIFing and looking for ways to cut onshore costs, I’d force myself to go in more, not less.

Yes. I have an accommodation and am able to work fully remote. I struggled tremendously when we had to return to the office- I am AuADHD and was vastly overstimulated and my anxiety was unbearable. I was able to provide documentation from my doctor and my accommodation was approved. I felt so bad asking for help but realized how much it alleviated my issues. (I was hired to be full time remote over 11 years ago)

I will say it was approved for a year as well- but it’s been well over 2 years and I haven’t been asked for recertification. It’s not like my autism or adhd will be going away…

I suffer from a profound malaise of the spirit when even around an office building. I have notes from a doctor, a priest, a rabbi and an exorcist. They all walked into a bar together and wrote these notes for me. I'm on an active prescription of corn liq-or for my anxiety. But they still refuse to take me seriously. It is a career choice to be physically in the room to witness and experience the oratory greatness of people who have important miscellaneous things to contribute to the universe in general and the meeting room in particular.

I was told by someone who attempted to get a RTO exception that HR expected them to prove they had a fully qualifying ADA disability based on Federal standards. But I am seeing evidence that rule only applies depending on who you are and who your manager is. People are getting approved to not report into a Pulsepoint for much less.

@af Interesting - what do you do When your PTSD is related to a non work medical event - asking for a friend - when your primary and your specialists all submit information - to a HEALTH CARE COMPANY.

You need to realize that all the talk about treating people individually and with compassion is just that….talk. We are a means for $$ only. The level of hypocrisy here is astounding when you actually see what happens to people. Try to adjust your outlook to using them for $$ right back.

Always remember, HR works for the company, the executives, the shareholders. You need a Dr experienced in writing accommodations designed for HR eyes. My experience with physical disability accommodations is that they are fine giving you those, but don't really care about mental health for accommodations, they consider it "subjective" (and tbh, behavioral health is a soft science, more based in social observations). They won't consider BH accommodations seriously if they feel it impacts your ability to "do the job".

I'll add that I've also had to deal with senior leaders who we-ponized their mental health and were abusive & bullying towards coworkers & direct reports. They claimed their ADHD or "being on the spectrum" caused them to behave a certain way, to excuse away abusive behavior. And that right there can inflict ptsd on an employee. But the company allows this sort of thing to go on, and they get away with it.

I am in a very similar situation I submitted a medical note from my MD - HR approved it for one year only. So I have to assume my time is about up since I did this last year. No one on my team is in the office either, but you know rules are rules right

. So I am guessing I will get canned when the year mark hits. My letter from HR originally said, after one year your situation ( it's apparently a situation not a medical condition that my MD says will likely not get any better than it is) will be reevaluated but there is no guarantee that approval will be extended.

Also it was pretty humiliating to have to disclose mental health issues that I have been dealing with for more than 7 yrs. But here you go. Wonder what my team will be told when I get termed