Posted by waffleslave on 9/25/05

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Yesterday morning I was working at the Waffle House in
Destin Florida. I looked thru the swinging door to make
sure noone was coming thru then bent over to pick up some
toast that I had dropped off a plate I taking off a table.
As I was straightening back up, the door slams open and
hits me in my left temple, knocking me back against the
counter. I just grabbed my mouth to keep from screaming out
loud in front of the customers, and then the manager who
was the one to slam thru the door and hit me, grabs me and
pulls me thru the door. I dropped to my knees cause all I
could see was a purple flash of light and I lost all my
balance. I stumbled back up and staggered to the back door
while the manager was saying over and over again how sorry
he/she was to hit me with the door. He/She then went and
grabbed a towel of ice while I tried to get my vision back.
I told her it was ok that accidents happened. I then tried
to go back to work. I was waiting on 3 tables when all of a
sudden my vision blurred and I got extremely nauseous, and
disoriented. I then stumbled to the back room and was dry
heaving into the trashcan. I told the manager then that I
was sorry but I couldnt finish out the day as there was
something definitely wrong with me. She said I couldn't go
until someone came to replace me cause that would leave her
store short help. I was crying by this time cause all of a
sudden it felt like there was a jackhammer trying to come
from behind my eyes. I tried calling the District and
Division Managers to get some help while I waited on my
ride. The whole time she is running around back and forth
loudly wondering what she is gonna do with a short store. I
was extremely nauseous by this time and could barely stand
so I went out the back door and sat on the ground. One of
the waitresses came out back to make sure I was allright.
The manager then told me I had to call Workmans comp right
then and there before I went to the hospital. I pulled out
my cell phone and tried calling them. The gentleman on the
phone asked me politely between dry heaves to just call him
back after I got out of the hospital. My ride got there
shortly after that and I arrived at the hospital about an
hour after the incident. I was taken to the back
immediately and was seen by a doctor who ordered a CAT scan
for me. I was very lethargic and nauseous by this time as
well as in a tremendous amount of pain. It seemed that the
lights in the ceiling was stabbing into my skull, and every
little sound felt like a very bad high school band banging
snare drums behind my eyeballs. The registering lady then
came into my room to have me sign some papers. She made a
point of telling me that my manager called to make sure I
had a drug test done and that I HAD to sign the papers for
it considering how I was injured on the job. My cell phone
then rang and it was my manager on the line telling my ride
to make sure I had my drug test done. I was pretty
disgusted by this time that my manager was more concerned
with my drug test than with the injury that he/she caused
me. I was given a shot for nausea which made me extremely
sleepy and groggy, and then was taken for my CAT scan and
came back. I laid there for awhile in and out of
groggyland. The nurse finally came in and said she was
giving me my drug test considering how my manager called up
yet again to inquire about it. She then asked me what meds
I was on. I then informed her of the meds I have been
taking for the last 4 months. Mobic 7.5mg, Cyclobenzaprine
10 mg, Hydrocodone/APAP 5-10/500 (2 prescriptions there for
strong and weak ones depending on the level of my pain that
day), Methocarbamol 750 mg, Carisoprodel 350 mg, Fluoxetine
20mg, Albuterol 90 mcg inhaler IVX, Phenergan 25mg
suppositories, Promethazine (the shot she just gave me),
Tylenol 3-codeine, Xanax 1.0 mg, Prednisone 20 mg, Septra
DS, Bactrim DS, Panlor SS/ dihydrocodeine, Tramadol HCL 50
mg, Erythnomycin 250 mg, Neurontin Tablets, Vanceril 42 mg,
Naproxen 500 mg. < I feel that I should insert here that I
had a injury to my back that herniated two discs, and gave
me severe migraines about 3 years ago, which I've been
dealing with along with finding out my Father was dying as
well, hence the depression and the adjustment from the too
strong Xanax to Prozac/Flouxetine. As well as two weeks ago
having minor surgery done and fracturing my right ring
finger at the tip just last week with a trailer hitch at
home > After thinking a moment wondering if I got all of
them correctly I looked over at the nurse. She was just
standing there staring at me holding the cup. I asked her
what was wrong and she just shook her head some and started
to put the cup away. She flat out asked me then if I
thought I would pass the test and I told her I didn't think
so considering most of those meds give back false results
and most where in my system still. She then informed me
that I could refuse to take the drug test, especially
considering how I was not injured thru no fault of my own
and obviousily the manager knew I wouldn't be able to pass
the test and was trying to keep him/herself out of trouble.
I kinda chuckled then thinking that was funny, I told her I
just thought that the manager was trying to do his/her job
by the letter cause that was the kind of person he/she
is...... until later. I told her ok since by then all I
really wanted was to go home and lock myself in a cave to
let my head finally explode and be sick in dignity. She
then handed me some papers and told me to sign them. At
this time she had already given me a Lortab, and if I
thought my vision was fuzzy before it was nothing compared
to how I was feeling then. But I did notice that on top of
the permission slip I had already signed for the drug test
she drew in 2 line's and wrote next to one *PA refused*. I
signed it and asked her about who was signing the second
line under it and what did it mean? She took the papers
from me and then told me she would witness it later, that
it was just my refusal to take a drug test. I then asked
her if I would be in any trouble for not doing a test I was
willing to take even though I knew it was going to be a
long hassle proving that it wasn't illegal drugs it was all
prescriptions from a pain management doctor and my family
doctor, she said she didn't know but was pretty sure I
wouldn't be. I then was allowed to go home. I didn't think
anything odd when noone from Waffle House called me. Until
around 8pm that night that one waitress who went out back
to check on me called me at home to make sure I was all
right. I then realized that the *Manager* who was the one
who caused all this mess, and who was SO concerned about ME
getting my drug test had never called. Noone other than
that one waitress has called me to see if I am ok or if I'm
alive, or even coming to work Monday morning like I'm
scheduled to. Not even the Division manager who knew I was
going to the hospital and wished me well before I left that
store that day. Not even my District Manager, who's job it
is to make sure his stores are running good and his people
are allright. And to think, me, who has been a associate
for about five years now, and who is also a relief
manager as well, thought these people actually cared about
their employees? Well all in all. Final prognosis was that
I had a Cerebral Concussion, with some swelling of the
brain but no bleeding. I still haven't eaten since
Saturday. The nausea is way too bad. I have to wear
sunglasses in the house cause lights hurts my eyes real bad
and it feels like the light is slicing thru my skull. And
I'm seriousily considering buying a ducttape company for my
children who love to scream shrilly right now outside my
window as i type this. As I sit here noticing it's only a
hour before we all get paid at the Waffle House, I wonder
if I should have someone drive me down there for my
paycheck. If I trust myself enough to walk into that store
and not let them know how I feel about the way I was
treated. And if I still have a job for not taking a drug
test? What can I do in this situation? It has taken me
almost 3 hours to type this story as I'm squinting real bad
trying to focus on the screen. Does a Waffle House manager
have the right to hurt someone bad enough that they can't
work the past two days and not too sure when they can be
able to come back? Do they have the right to insist on a
test they know will come back Positive cause of my legal
prescriptions? Do they have the right to just treat people
this way. Because right now not only am I physically hurt
but I'm very emotionally torn up about all this. I can't
even play with my kids nor watch a movie with my man cause
of this physical pain with my head. And do I really want to
see if I'm working tomorrow? Someone please help me here.
I'm very sorry for the long post I didn't even realize I
was baring my soul here, but I have no clue what to do.
This isn't the first time I've been treated badly by a
Waffle House Manager. The last one refused me the Family
Medical Leave Act when I found out my father was dying and
needed a little time off to help Him and my Mother get
their affairs in order, and to have a Nervous Breakdown as
well over the fact he was soon to be out of my world. To
have a recorded voicemail of a manager cussing me out for
being late to work cause I had to pick up a Grill Operator
who lived 30 miles from the store. I have had physical
abuse upon emotional and physchological abuse from this so
called Waffle House Family Company. But I did sign a
Arbitration agreement when I was hired, even though its
been since before July that I was denied time off to take
care of my family (only wanted four days off, since I'm a
single mom supporting two children and helping my parents
out). Heck it only took them about a month to let me come
back to work. I've been back for my 3rd or 4th week and
still haven't received a paycheck nor the backpay or
correct payrate I was to have. For some reason I feel and
some other associates feel that it's not US that makes the
company.... It's the higher ups who can use and abuse you
who makes the company and their is nothing we can do about
it. Can someone please help me. Let me know what the law is
and what I can legally do about this.....

Re: injury at waffle house in florida, 10/09/05, by v.

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