Outed myself to my employer...regretting it already-here's the scoop

[Stephanie_b]

Okay, so I work for Kelly Services at present (temp agency). 

Here's what happened.  I was doing quality control (chocolates-yes I eat some of em)) and near the end of the nigbt shift, the line leader came over and said I had to help with lifting (heavy) plastic trays.  I mean, these things are about 5 feet long and are double stacked...about maybe 40lbs each?

And I'm less than 5'4"...so its not like I'm big

Anyway, before doing it he said its no like they're that heavy or anything, but I need 4 guys to do it-THE WOMEN DON'T DO THIS.

I was like, damn!  I had to lift those things onto pallets and stack them almost as high as my head.  For a whole 40 minutes.  Lets just say that the guys made it look easy and I had extreme difficulty.

When I got home, I took a walk to the Kelly office and told someone there that I am trans and that I just can't lift stuff like that anymore.  I hated outing myself like this so soon but I didn't know what else to do.  If they ask me to lift like that again, I'm not just allowed to refuse and like hell I'm going to out myself there.

The lady at tbe Kelly office said that the staff there would have to know about this (key people) and the Kelly supervisors who work at the plant. 

That's just great!  Right now I feel embarrassed and like a freak.  I'm just not used to people knowing about me and people I don't know at that.

I also can't believe how weak I am right now; a few days ago I could have lifted those things with ease.  I'm okay with it though; I won't mind being a weak girl.

Sorry for the rant, but I needed to get that off my chest.   

[rachl]

I wish you the best of luck, but these things really need planning.

You're in Ontario, though, right? Show your employer this: http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-discrimination-and-harassment-because-gender-identity (Print off the policy.) And ask the management to be proactive in preventing discrimination and harassment: a simple message of support and accommodation from the management goes a LONG way in making your life easier. If you want, I can email you a letter that my department chair circulated with my coming out letter (I work at a University, in Ontario).

[Alainaluvsu]

Well if you didn't out yourself, I'd have just told them "I'm not as strong as I used to be, I don't know why!!" ... play it off like you're seeing a doctor about it and the doctor doesn't know what's going on either.

But since you outed yourself, I guess I would go with the "hey look at the anti-discrimination bill... it fits me quite well!!" But who knows, there may be a loop hole that's kind of like "Well you can't do the job we hired you to do any more, why should we pay you??" Not saying that's right but... just giving you some heads up before you go in there all cocky and slamming the bill on the desk like "NOW WHAT?? WHO IS YO MOMMA!!!???"

[Stephanie_b]

Well if you didn't out yourself, I'd have just told them "I'm not as strong as I used to be, I don't know why!!" ... play it off like you're seeing a doctor about it and the doctor doesn't know what's going on either.

But since you outed yourself, I guess I would go with the "hey look at the anti-discrimination bill... it fits me quite well!!" But who knows, there may be a loop hole that's kind of like "Well you can't do the job we hired you to do any more, why should we pay you??" Not saying that's right but... just giving you some heads up before you go in there all cocky and slamming the bill on the desk like "NOW WHAT?? WHO IS YO MOMMA!!!???"

Lol. 

Yeah, I hear you on that.  Probly should have used an excuse, any excuse to get out of doing lifting.  I'm kicking myself hard now, but there is an opportunity at a new call centre in town now that I should have a good crack at. 

I'm going for it!   

[Alainaluvsu]

Do it to it

I had a job that required some manual labor and got fired from it. I'm unemployed now but it's such a relief not to do that manly garbage (that I mostly got out of  for being too "weak")