Hi,
I work in a UK company which is generally fine but has one weird rule that I can't understand-maybe because I'm Ukrainian and don't know certain peculiarities of life here? Anyway, in order to get inside the building where you do your job, you first enter the company territory through the electronic gate, and then you either use the stairs or the lift, as all entry/exit doors are on the second floor. Beside the lift, there is a board with a warning: ‘Only those authorised by the management are allowed to use the lift.’ To be authorised, you must have a disability confirmed by medical documents.
I have problematic periods, and every month I’m literally forced to use the lift because of strong pains around my ureter area, which become more intense when I move my legs up/down. Also, I feel massive discomfort in my whole pelvis, back, intimate parts, thighs… and get weak, dizzy and pale due to blood loss. But because this is not a disability, I receive loads of telling off/shouting from the managers every time they catch me using the lift! They refuse to care about my pain or discomfort; they just demand proof of disability and threaten me with disciplinary action for breaching company policy. Also, they say that if I’m able to work, then I’m able to use the stairs too, and if I feel too unwell, then I should go home.
In short, they sadistically try to turn my life into hell… whereas pregnant employees are allowed to use the lift long before they provide any documents… basically from the day they see a positive test! At this point, they have zero weight gain, zero pain, zero issues or difficulties, their life is just easy peasy lemon squeezy, yet they jump into the lift like frogs and no one says anything. Who are they, queens? Can someone please explain why these women are mollycoddled from the very start (even though using stairs is not really problematic until approx. week 19-20 I guess?), and I’m treated like trash? Why can’t managers just ignore the company policy when they see that I’m unwell? If I was in their position, I would simply look away and not care-simple!