I will start by saying - I have fibromyalgia and advanced osteoarthritis in my spine. 3 months ago I began having some severe back pain to the point where I could no longer put my pants, socks or shoes on by myself because of pain when bending. I work in a hospital, and am able to do all of the portions of my job, with the exception of one that requires me to bend over the beds on the floors. I am able to do the task if I have a stool to sit on, but there are no stools on the floors. I am able to do the task anywhere else in the hospital as there are stools. So, basically, I told them that. Because of that and the fact that I have had to leave for doctors appointments because of the condition (which I always got clearance for before I took time to do) many of my coworkers started pressuring me, saying that I couldn't be reliable and that it was impacting everyone else and that I should step down from my part time position to a per diem position. I was told by my boss that I could not take any more time for appointments because I had no more earned time, but my schedule was changing on almost a daily basis, so when I tried to schedule appointments around work (when possible - some of the testing I had to have, they just tell you when to show up and if you don't, you don't get seen for another month) I would schedule one and then suddenly it would be imperative that I work at that time. One of my coworkers went so far as to say in front of me that she would quit if I got any special accommodations. Because of all this, I reluctantly changed my status to per diem.
So at this point, my supervisor told me she had set up for someone else to do that task so that I could fill in on the weekends when none of the regular employees want to work. Apparently she didn't actually do this, so when I came to work Saturday, I was asked by the only other coworker that was there for the entire weekend to do the task. I said I couldn't because I would hurt myself. He said I had to, I told him I had doctors notes saying I couldn't, and he told me that it wouldn't hurt me and to just go do it. I did try to go do the task, and ended up exacerbating the nerve pain in my back. I told him that my supervisor had told me she had set up the accommodation - he said he knew nothing about it. When I came in the next day, there was a stack of 3 patients for whom I was supposed to do the task with a note that said "This is your pile, go do it, no arguments!" and my co-worker was not around. I photocopied the note, and wrote a note of my own saying I was happy to do the task anywhere else, or to do any other tasks required, but I did not want to hurt myself and also photocopied that. My co-worker came in as I was leaving the note and I explained to him that I couldn't do it - he blew up at me and told me I had to. When I said I wouldn't, he said "Well, then I will leave, and you'll be here by yourself, what will you do then??" I told him he should do what he needed to, and I would do what I needed to. He continued to berate me, but called in the employee that my supervisor had told me she had set up to come do the task and she came in. She was also angry with me and said she wasn't supposed to come in.
At this point, I have 2 coworkers threatening to quit if I get accommodations to do my job, and 2 being actively rude to me at work because I am asking for accommodations at all. Would this mean that my employer could claim that there would be "undue hardship" for accommodating me? Can I be fired for refusing to do a task that I thought I did not have to do? I live in NH which I know is an "at will" state and that my job can fire me for any reason or no reason, but I just don't know if this is covered under the ADA I guess. I feel like just quitting and trying to find a new job, but I live in a small area with small hospitals and I am sure that many of them have already heard about this and would not even give me an interview.
So at this point, my supervisor told me she had set up for someone else to do that task so that I could fill in on the weekends when none of the regular employees want to work. Apparently she didn't actually do this, so when I came to work Saturday, I was asked by the only other coworker that was there for the entire weekend to do the task. I said I couldn't because I would hurt myself. He said I had to, I told him I had doctors notes saying I couldn't, and he told me that it wouldn't hurt me and to just go do it. I did try to go do the task, and ended up exacerbating the nerve pain in my back. I told him that my supervisor had told me she had set up the accommodation - he said he knew nothing about it. When I came in the next day, there was a stack of 3 patients for whom I was supposed to do the task with a note that said "This is your pile, go do it, no arguments!" and my co-worker was not around. I photocopied the note, and wrote a note of my own saying I was happy to do the task anywhere else, or to do any other tasks required, but I did not want to hurt myself and also photocopied that. My co-worker came in as I was leaving the note and I explained to him that I couldn't do it - he blew up at me and told me I had to. When I said I wouldn't, he said "Well, then I will leave, and you'll be here by yourself, what will you do then??" I told him he should do what he needed to, and I would do what I needed to. He continued to berate me, but called in the employee that my supervisor had told me she had set up to come do the task and she came in. She was also angry with me and said she wasn't supposed to come in.
At this point, I have 2 coworkers threatening to quit if I get accommodations to do my job, and 2 being actively rude to me at work because I am asking for accommodations at all. Would this mean that my employer could claim that there would be "undue hardship" for accommodating me? Can I be fired for refusing to do a task that I thought I did not have to do? I live in NH which I know is an "at will" state and that my job can fire me for any reason or no reason, but I just don't know if this is covered under the ADA I guess. I feel like just quitting and trying to find a new job, but I live in a small area with small hospitals and I am sure that many of them have already heard about this and would not even give me an interview.