What legal help and advice is available to me at work as an employee? I am a staff member at a university.?

I recently resigned from a job due to mental illness (Bipolar Disorder). My employers are offering me an 'agreement' which for all intents and purposes appears to be a severance package. However, my psychiatrist is telling me to rescind my resignation as I was not of sound mind and body when it occurred and claim long term disability instead. I need to speak to someone at work or elsewhere and get advice as to what my rights are and what I should do, but am not sure who to contact?What legal help and advice is available to me at work as an employee? I am a staff member at a university.?
does your employer provide long term disability insurance for you?


if they don't provide LTD then take the severance pay and immediately file for social security disability (SSDI).





if they do provide LTD follow your doctors advice.


your doctor is going to have to fill out some forms for you to even get the process started (a statement that you did not know what you were doing when you resigned).





the university has an HR department that can help you get started with this and will provide the forms you need. there are parts of the claim form they fill out and parts that you fill out and then they will send them to the insurance carrier for Long Term Disability.





most likely (if you have LTD) your long term will pay you up to 60% of your normal pay for usually 2 years at which time they probably will discontinue payments. if you are found to be disabled and unable to perform any type of work social security disability is an option you have.


(in a case such as that the insurance carrier will require you file for social security disability at some point near the end of the benefit period).


they will probably have an attorney group that does just social security disability that won't charge you but instead is paid out of retroactive benefits that you would receive and would be owed to the insurance carrier.





if you go this route file for your LTD immediately and as soon as you get a response check into filing for SSDI.


SSDI is a long process that takes years, if you wait to file until your LTD has expired you could 2-3 years with no income waiting for it to start. ask the insurance carrier about filing for SSDI don't wait for them to bring it up.

mac rvd