sunshine at home, doormat at work

Anna is a pleasant caregiver with a sunny disposition who delayed returning to paid work because she feared she would never find the flexible working hours she needed in order to care for her 12-year old disabled daughter -- a task she shares with her mother who, unfortunately, is also becoming in need of care.

"Although I certainly got the flexibility I wanted in my return to work job," says Anna, "I didn’t expect to be dumped with all the menial work and treated like a doormat by the team."

"There is definitely a negative attitude in the community towards disabled people and those that care for them," says Anna. "Their thinking might have been that if I performed 'doormat' duties at home, then I would certainly not mind performing them at work."

"When anyone starts a new job they are always eager, enthusiastic and willing," says Anna, "and I suppose being a natural ray of sunshine - always smiling, despite heavy responsibilities at home caring for my daughter - it is very easy to be taken advantage of."

"I'm angry that people can be so cruel and unkind to me," says Anna, "but I'm angrier still when I think about the world that my disabled daughter is going to have to deal with one day - especially when mom and I are gone."

"In the meantime, despite what is happening at work," says Anna, "I will continue being a ray of sunshine for my mom and daughter. If nobody else appreciates a willing smile from me then I know that two people on earth couldn't get by without it."

Read more by Anna on this issue:

the workplace patsy
Unfair distribution of work