Vent ...edited

I need to get this out especially before I go downstairs and see the bookkeeper and end up being pissed and nasty when I see her. I am raving mad. Seriously angry and also, a little hurt. I'm a little disillusioned, too.
See, I work for the Catholic Church. I am a Catholic High School teacher. I have been for roughly 4 years now. I left my first teaching job in another Catholic high school because I was unhappy, I felt like I was in a situation where everyone was negative and angry at the world but wanted to do nothing about it. Plus, I had just been diagnosed and felt completely out of control of my life and I knew that quitting my job would give me some control. And I had been offered a position somewhere else that was supposed to be more money and a resume boost. I found out I was pregnant within a month of beginning my new job and my heart wanted to go back to my high school. I stayed where I was and at the end of my maternity leave, I did not return. On the day I offered my resignation I had an interview at the job where I am currently employed, another Catholic high school. I had wanted to teach here for a very long time. I had been trying to get my foot in the door and there were never any positions available. Finally, one opened up and I received it. I was very excited. I could not wait to start and get back to teaching.
While I was at my previous high school I gave birth to our first child, I lost my grandmother and my grandfather, I was diagnosed with my tumors and thyroid disease, and our son had his first surgery. I had a lot happen in a few short years. During the year that my son had his surgery I used up all of my sick days and personal days before he even went in for it. He had been sick most of the winter and at that point the husband's job was not so flexible so I was the one to stay home. When I put in for my time out for the boy's surgery the vice principal stopped me in the cafeteria and very kindly let me know that I was out of days and they would have to start docking my pay. I was a little surprised that I had used my days but it was May at that point and it made sense. I said ok and told her that obviously, he was having surgery so I couldn't not take the days. She was very nice about it all. I told her I understood that they had to dock me and that was that. I never lost a cent from my paycheck.
This year has been ridiculous. We had our car accident in the fall and then the resulting surgery and recovery. The boy had his surgery and then ended up in the hospital. Those two events alone, along with one wedding, forced me to use all of my days. They are all gone. I was called into the Principal's office where she informed me that I used all of my days. She informed me that there was no set protocol for what happens once an employees uses all of their days. She informed me that she was considering docking my pay for any days I was out following using my last day. This was all before the boy ended up in the hospital. She then looked at me and essentially asked me what she thought she should do. WHAT? I was confused. I am not the boss. I am not in charge. It is not my place to decide whether or not I get docked, especially since there are no rules governing this. I told her that if I worked for a major corporation and I used all of my days they would dock me, why should this be any different. She told me that she liked to think we were more compassionate and had pity on employees. She even said that the majority of days, since related to the accident, weren't even my fault. There was no conclusion reached. I guess I walked out of there thinking that if the money came out of my check I'd be a little surprised but by the same token I would totally understand- it's their right, I used my days. Plain and simple. I also walked out there and felt a little weird and angry about the whole thing. It was a strange meeting. It was something that probably would have never happened had I been working for a Merck or Lucent or Wyeth.
This morning I got into work and went to my mailbox, as always. I had the regular stuff and then I had a copy of my last request for time off, it was for the boy's surgery and for the wedding I was attending. It had been approved, there had been no problem with that. At the bottom was a correspondence between the bookkeeper and the principal. The bookkeeper informed the principal that I was one day over my allotted sick and personal and should they dock me for the time I was out and then put in some type of equation that makes it look like I am being docked for 3 days. Right next to that was a note from the principal, "I think we have to deduct the amount." This set me off. This made me so angry. This sent me into a rage. I went upstairs and dumped my stuff in my classroom and went in to see K. I handed her the paper and said, "I didn't think they would really do it." And I didn't. I really did not believe that I was going to lose the pay. I understand I was out. I understand I used my days. I get all of that and logical answer is, "Yes, I deserve to lose the pay." But I work for a compassionate company that has pity on it's employees.
I am hurt and angry. I was not out shopping on those days. I was not taking needless time off. I was out because someone ran their car into mine and destroyed it. I was out because I had a shoulder injury that someone else inflicted upon me and it needed to be fixed. I was out because I had major surgery and then had a bad reaction to said surgery. I was out because my son had surgery and then developed a life threatening complication. I was out because my life took a downward turn at everyone else's hands but mine. I just didn't think that I would lose my pay over that. I just didn't think that this compassionate company would do that.


ADDED
I went down to the bookkeeper because that equation where it looked like I was being docked for 3 days really bothered me. I wanted to see why it was 3 times my daily rate or the sub rate. She was very nice, I was courteous. I showed her the note and asked why 3. She explained because I had been out 3 more days than I was allowed. I showed her the attendance tally we all received the other day and said that all of the days were included and tally read that I was only out 1 day over. She laughed. She had read it all wrong. She thought I was requesting more days and never bothered to look at the dates and see that they were from FEBRUARY! She was going to take 3 days worth of money out of my check because she was not careful about reading. Thank God I went down and checked with her. Good thing she works with numbers all day....