Hey, so I’m in California, and I got hired as a marketing/pr specialist for a finance firm. I have ADHD and anxiety, which they knew about. After about a month in, I missed a deadline, and they gave me a verbal warning. The thing is, the timeline they gave during the verbal was totally wrong. It was so bad that I had an anxiety attack, and the next day, they fired me for ‘disrespectful behavior’ during the meeting. Anyone else dealt with something like this?
That sounds really tough. I know in California, ADHD and anxiety are protected under disability laws, but I guess that doesn’t stop employers from firing people if they think they have a reason.
Exactly. I thought I was protected, but they didn’t even consider my anxiety attack during the meeting. It’s like they didn’t care.
Maybe they didn’t follow the proper steps for accommodation? You might want to check with an employment lawyer. Sounds like they might have skipped a few things.
Were you able to ask them about the wrong timeline? It sucks that you had an anxiety attack, but did you get a chance to explain that they were wrong?
I tried, but I couldn’t calm down enough to explain properly. I was crying and couldn’t breathe. They didn’t even investigate the claim—just fired me the next day.
Ugh, that’s so frustrating. If they didn’t look into it properly, maybe that’s another thing to bring up with a lawyer.
Wait, what’s ‘time blindness’? I’ve heard of ADHD but not that term.
Time blindness is when you lose track of time easily—like things take way longer (or shorter) than you think. It’s a common ADHD thing.
Ohhh, that makes sense! Thanks for explaining.
Honestly, if they fired you for focusing on compliance, that’s a big red flag. I work in a finance firm, and bypassing compliance is a huge no-no.
Exactly! I was following what they told me, but then they turned around and said I was focusing too much on compliance. It makes no sense.
Sounds like your supervisor was pressured by someone higher up. Maybe they didn’t want to admit they were wrong.