For all practical purposes laid off after life changing injury..
Short form..
Suffered horrendous injury at work in March 2025. 2 surgeries and rehab 3 days a week for 16 months. Workmans Comp.
Finally get my full release, ready to come back..just to be told I wasn't budgeted to be back full time,so the company put me on the exact amount of hours I was working the day I was hurt.
For clarity, I was on a regular shift but in a separate dept that I only covered for 5 hours once a week. Regular part of the job.
Because I was technically in a separate dept from my main duty when the injury occurred, they are legally only required to give me the hours I worked in that dept, 5 per week.
Then after telling me there was no allotment for my fulltime position,they call back a former coworker who quit at twice the salary of every one else in the shop.
Further clarity: during my 16 month absence every person in management who had hired and trained me had been pushed out, top down massacre. The new managers had no idea who I was and apparently being on WC had left a bad taste in their mouth.
So they gift me 5 whole hours per week,all that they are required by law,technically.
So now I am desperately applying anywhere and everywhere with residual injuries for life,having to explain the 16 month gap at the same time explaining that I am also released from restriction with visible scarring.
Wish me luck.