r/AmIOverreacting • u/MeanderingDragon • Mar 06 '26

šŸ’¼work/career AIO about this text I got from HR?

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So to preface, I'm Type 1 diabetic, which means I have to take multiple daily insulin injections to live. I typically take 5-8 shots per day, and while it isn't fun, it is routine and necessary.

I was at work this morning and they had a small amount of food out for some sort of 'employee appreciation' which reminded me I hadn't had any insulin yet and my glucose levels were getting too high. I took a shot of insulin, got some breakfast, and went to my desk. A few minutes later, this text arrives.

I can understand that shots make some people uncomfortable. Trust me, I'm one of those people. But I have to take them anyway. Am I overreacting to think that if you don't want to see me talking a shot, you can turn your head? Should I have to go to the bathroom which only gets cleaned twice a week, and take my shots in secret like it's a drug addiction? Perhaps it is just me, but I feel that not everything in life that makes us a little uncomfortable is something that has to be pushed out of sight. Sometimes we would benefit more from understanding, acceptance, and perhaps acclimation.

Also for the record, while they say they "mentioned this several times", our HR manager scolded me once maybe two or three years ago publicly during lunch in our cafeteria. I ignored it that time, because friends sitting around me supported me after HR walked off.

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712

u/Hott-Gravy Mar 06 '26

Lol I actually live in America but im in a pretty heavily blue state and I also work for a union which helps.

531

u/anti__thesis Mar 06 '26

Ah, the secret ingredient is the union!

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u/Hott-Gravy Mar 06 '26

It is the special sauce that helps, hopefully more people can get involved in unions, i used to think they were not great but once i got in one and was active in it, it changed my perspective completely, I don't think I can ever go back to non union work tbh.

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u/Amanda316 Mar 06 '26

I am also very pro-union. They saved my butt big one time. I worked in a research lab with I think 19 different rooms/labs I could be in at any time, let alone doing errands in a massive university hospital, bringing samples to specialty labs etc. I had a manager who constantly wanted to stalk me so she did not like that. Never knew what it was that she didnā€™t like about me, everyone else gave me positive reviews. Letā€™s just say things got wildly out of hand and the superstar of the lab screamed at her one time defending me. He was a very quiet professional type so it was shocking but insanely appreciated. I heard the president of the union very much wanted to talk to me but they couldnā€™t reach out unless I did first. So I met with them. They had been waiting six months to try and help me ā€” I wish I had done something sooner but I was 19. So by the time we met with my five (!) managers and the union, the president of the union and other high profile union members were there with me at a giant board room table chastising my managers for their behavior towards me.

They later wound up sabotaging my ability to go back to school as revenge so I chose school over them and left after being there for two years, but I will never forget that feeling of winning being at that table and seeing every one of my managers with their tails tucked between their legs. That would have never been possible without the union and it cost me 7-9$ a paycheck for my dues.

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u/Hott-Gravy Mar 06 '26

I'm sorry you went through that sounds crazy, I do not mind my dues specifically for instances like yours, its nice to have someone watching your back since a lot of legal work related things are beyond the average employee. I know I recently just spoke with the president of my union because of a time clock issue we were told we had 5 minutes to fill out punch outs at the end of the day so we all log out fill out our sheet then leave well I lost 2 days of pay because I finished my sheet in like 30 seconds and left. losing 2 days of pay for a 5 minute leave when I have no record of any disciplinary issues had my president furious. Still waiting on results but they did advise me its going to arbitration. I hope things have gotten better for you wherever you landed.

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u/Amanda316 Mar 07 '26

Donā€™t even get me started on time clocks, lol.

Iā€™m self employed doing something I love so I canā€™t complain! And I make sure if I ever hire people to work for me that itā€™s under conditions I would want to work under. Hope youā€™re in a better place too.

2

u/DistinctBlueberry818 Mar 07 '26

jealous. my union laughed in my face when I told them I was being physically bullied by both my boss and coworker and they said (verbatim might I add) ā€œthat sucks. you prob deserve it. you sound like youā€™re antagonizing themā€. I wasnā€™t. I asked a question on my second day that got them investigated for malpractice because paperwork didnā€™t match. they were training me to look for this exact thing. and when I found the real issue, itā€™s because they were stealing money.

I left that job after a year and a half, the supervisor retired and the other one left the dept after me

26

u/SmartTip6131 Mar 06 '26

Unions not only boost the wages of the people in that union, but they increase the wages of other non-union workers. They are good!

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u/[deleted] Mar 06 '26

[deleted]

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u/Revolutionary-Fox486 Mar 07 '26

What was the problem?

1

u/AvBanoth Mar 08 '26

Unions are not great, but they are necessary.

8

u/lauraz0919 Mar 06 '26

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!! If you know your rights according to the Americans with Disabilities act ADA if you are American..even not on disability but they have to make certain accommodations. Granted some shitty jobs will find a reason to get rid of you but they also donā€™t want that that group checking them out with a fine tooth comb. THEY will NOT give you those rights until they know you know about them!!!

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u/FountainPens-Lover Mar 07 '26

Blue state helps too

1

u/eric_ofc Mar 07 '26

Depends on the union sadly.

1

u/LepiNya Mar 07 '26

Who'd a thunk it?

1

u/The_Huu Mar 07 '26

Union, some stalk of salary, and I always rely on black and white paper.

104

u/McTazzle Mar 06 '26

In Australia the conservative partyā€™s blue and progressives are red, so the opposite being true in North America always makes me take a step to adjust to. It doesnā€™t help that the name of the conservative party is the Liberals šŸ˜‚

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u/slinkywitch Mar 06 '26

In Canada, Australia and the UK conservatives are blue and the more liberal party is red (probably other places too, I'm just not sure about them). In fact, that used to be true in the US as well, but they flipped it and started consistently using the blue = left, red = right in The US around the year 2000. So, it's really a modern US vs the rest of the world (mostly) thing, not an Australia is backward thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states

I think it's because traditionally the color red has been associated with socialism and communism.

18

u/eattherich-1312 Mar 07 '26

It's actually much dumber than that. I can't remember when exactly, but there was talks about switching them to the same colour system as most of the rest of the world and they decided the American public was essentially too dumb and would always think Republican = Red = Right šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£

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u/HippieLizLemon Mar 07 '26

Hilarious but also true, making it even more funny, with a touch of pathetic.

5

u/padall Mar 07 '26

It was long before 2000. I remember watching the 1984 election results come in as a kid. The whole country was red on the map except Minnesota (Mondale's home state), and I think DC because Reagan won in a landslide.

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u/OhGod0fHangovers Mar 07 '26

It used to alternate, or different media used different colors; and some used red for the incumbent, so itā€™s quite possible they used red for the Republicans in 1984. But it wasnā€™t until 2000 because it was such a nail-biter that went on forever and garnered so much attention that red = R and blue = D got firmly established in peopleā€™s minds.

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u/throwawayplusanumber Mar 06 '26

traditionally the color red has been associated with socialism and communism

Exactly, but the US doesnt usually take the logical option. (E.g. units of measurement, healthcare, gun control).

2

u/DrexlAU Mar 07 '26

the order of writing the date

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u/throwawayplusanumber Mar 07 '26

Thanks. Forgot that one.

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u/throwaway277252 Mar 06 '26

Gravity is upside down, toilets swirl the other way, you drive on the left side, it's only natural that political parties are inverted as well.

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u/KaposiaDarcy Mar 06 '26

Gravity isnā€™t upside down. Itā€™s always oriented toward the center of the earth.

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u/FernandoNylund Mar 06 '26

Nah, if I recall my Looney Tunes correctly, gravity in the northern hemisphere pulls us down, but in the southern hemisphere it pulls you up šŸ™ƒ

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u/KaposiaDarcy Mar 06 '26

At least you cited a legitimate source.

3

u/Apprehensive-Pool967 Mar 06 '26

Itā€™s that way in Canada too. But the liberals are red, conservatives blue

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u/One-T-Rex-ago-go Mar 06 '26

Canada is the same, conservative blue, liberal red, socialist party is orange green party is green.

1

u/continualreboot Mar 06 '26

Same here, cousin (Canadian here.) Red=progressive, Blue=conservative. The conservatives tried to fool us by calling themselves Progressive Conservative, but we weren't fooled. A conservative with a social conscience is called a Red Tory here.

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u/SufficientFunny5215 Mar 06 '26

In America all politicians liberal and conservative work towards the same goals and for the same people. Itā€™s actually not that confusing and is very transparent.

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u/Maine302 Mar 06 '26

It's confusing that you think this.

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u/SufficientFunny5215 Mar 06 '26

ā€œEverything is purpleā€ - A.S.A.P. Rocky

1

u/Maine302 Mar 06 '26

Yeah, well Greg Steube ain't working for me.

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u/[deleted] Mar 06 '26

[deleted]

1

u/pandariotinprague Mar 06 '26

They're doing the good cop/bad cop routine on you and you're too slow to see it.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 06 '26

[removed] ā€” view removed comment

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u/AmIOverreacting-ModTeam Mar 06 '26

Questions or comments referring to matters of USA or global politics are not allowed in this sub, including interpersonal conflicts due to differing political beliefs, discussion of subjects such as ICE or the Epstein Files, or referencing someone's political opinions. Please post in another subreddit that is more appropriate for such discussion.

1

u/KaposiaDarcy Mar 06 '26

Thatā€™s the best joke Iā€™ve read today.

1

u/Wild_Plastic_6500 Mar 07 '26

Tour name suits you perfectly!

31

u/Ecliphon Mar 06 '26

Ahh. Iā€™m also union (or as my very red-minded mom calls it, ā€œThe mobā€) but I feel like even they would just clean out a closet and put a clean table in it with clorox wipes lol.Ā 

Then again we also donā€™t have the most active union members or representative, soā€¦

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u/Hott-Gravy Mar 06 '26

I hear ya there, I love most of my union brothers and sisters but a lot of them like to complain but never attend any meetings but want all the benefits, it can be frustrating, hopefully your leadership can try to get more people involved but we do live in crazy times so i also understand not everyone can go each month.

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u/morning_star984 Mar 06 '26

This was my first office when I worked in healthcare. Didn't even have a vent because it was literally a small closet in a hallway.

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u/fyxxer32 Mar 06 '26

Show this video to your mom and ask her if she's enjoyed any of these benefits that unions fought for and got for workers.

https://youtu.be/iObqguaNDdA?si=HVT20nAw2-zfp41-

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u/Hott-Gravy Mar 06 '26

Idk if directed at me but my mother unfortunately doesn't form her own opinion on things she trusts whatever my step dad says is best. we do not have a good relationship haven't spoken to them in a few years so I wouldn't be able to ask her sadly.

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u/Perite Mar 07 '26

Unrelatedly, is there a union for people who work for a union? Like a who watches the watchers kind of thing?