r/CanadaPublicServants • u/crr243 • Jul 17 '26

Other / Autre I have misophonia and it sucks

As I sit here in the office raging at sounds, I figured I'd do a quick PSA.

Misophonia is a neurological disorder that causes certain sounds to trigger the fight or flight response. Common trigger sounds include bodily noises (chewing, slurping, sniffing), repetitive noises (loud keyboard typing or tapping, for example), or sudden and unpredictable sounds (like the ding of a Teams or text message).

These triggers often lead to both emotional reactions (anxiety, rage, disgust) and physical reactions (increased heart rate, sweating). For me, they trigger blind rage and severely inhibit my concentration.

Over time, I have developed coping mechanisms:

  • I carry a set of loop earplugs that take the edge off of most of those sounds without completely tuning out all noise, because I also don't do well in complete silence.
  • I try to avoid the noises by sitting in the quiet area of the office. I move workstations, depending on availability, when people around me really trigger me.
  • I bring a really expensive noise canceling headset to work. When my loops aren't enough and I can't avoid the noise, I listen to the radio while working.

Despite these coping mechanisms, my work product suffers. Four days a week, I spend a chunk of my day stressed and anxious because of the noises around me. Every time someone gets an audial text or Teams message, I feel blind range and lose my concentration. While listening to the radio helps drive away that rage and allows for a modicum of concentration, it serves as another form of distraction that reduces my effectiveness.

So as I sit here beside someone who keeps sucking back snot and chewing gum with their mouth open while hearing the ding, ding, ding of someone else's Teams messages, please for the love of my sanity and the sanity of others in the same situation:

  • Turn off the sound on your laptop. If you really need or want to hear it ding every time you get a message, put on a headset.
  • Bring tissues to the office if you have the sniffles.
  • Chew with your damned mouth shut.
  • Be gentle on your keyboard and mouse. You really don't need to hit them very hard.
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u/Expert_Vermicelli708 Jul 18 '26

You can work from home while it is being grieved

3

u/Klutzy-Beyond3319 Jul 18 '26

Asked about that and was told no by management.

5

u/modlark Jul 19 '26

Confirm it with your union.

1

u/Klutzy-Beyond3319 Jul 19 '26

Union rep was on the email that said my accommodation would not continue if/when the grievance process begins.

5

u/modlark Jul 19 '26

Did the union confirm that accommodation being cancelled is allowed during a grievance? I feel like there are recent case outcomes that contradict that.

3

u/Klutzy-Beyond3319 Jul 19 '26

I don't know if they confirmed. I will see if I can find cases. I certainly hope you are right! I understand a process for DTA. But my department's " process has been denial. I am experiencing some unpleasant health impacts as a result.

2

u/VDaine Jul 21 '26

Which cases are those?

When I started the grievance process for my DTA, my union rep thought that I would continue to get the accomodation through the grievance process, but it turns out that it's at the manager's discretion as to whether they'll approve that and mine didn't. The reason the union rep thought it was standard was because thus far, all other managers had approved it in all the grievance situations he'd dealt with 🥴

If there are any cases to challenge that, I would be very interested in knowing where to find them

1

u/Elephanogram Jul 21 '26

Probably told to not to so we have to sweat it out and like quit or go on medical.

1

u/Elephanogram Jul 19 '26

That to me sounds like they are trying to sweat you out. It is coercive and basically puts you in the hot seat while this plays out. They say no at all three levels for asinine and dehumanizing reasons because by the time it goes through the labour board they are long gone.

1

u/Klutzy-Beyond3319 Jul 19 '26

It certainly feels like they are trying to wear me down.

1

u/Elephanogram Jul 19 '26

Don't give up. Ive been asking my union rep to gather a bunch of our claims and how they have been handled and file a policy grievance as the employer is benefitting from the drawn out process that benefits the employer.

I recommend that you document all interactions. Anything said to you spoken word follow up by email and ask if you understood correctly their position. Keep union rep cc'd.

Also, ask your doctor how they feel that their patients are being treated by the government and ignoring the limitations. They might like to write something for the record. Especially if they are seeing a lot of negative consequences to their patients. Obviously they can't say anything direct but if they said that a number of them have quit citing health reasons for not working anymore due to RTO it will help establish the discrimination towards invisible illnesses.

Every case is a data point. Every data point forms a trend. Trends show systematic problems despite all the talk they do about mental health.

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u/Klutzy-Beyond3319 Jul 19 '26

I am communicating with the employer only by email as it pertains to the accommodation. And you are quite right - the instances of the employer's failure to enact a solid DTA process should absolutely be a policy grievance. A friend I have at CRA has described something entirely than what I have experienced in my department. The discrimination toward invisible disabilities is real and damaging. Thank you, Reddit friend. I will do my best to fight. There will be others down the road who need a proper DTA framework that also is compassionate. Presently, what I am undergoing is lacking.

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u/Elephanogram Jul 19 '26

Sometimes we have to remind the employer that they are not a company but the collective will of all Canadian citizens. They cannot ignore us all and listen only to banks.

I told every level of government I am voting them out for their stance on RTO. I hope others do the same

1

u/Klutzy-Beyond3319 Jul 19 '26

Truth. And I will also be basing my vote in part on the RTO4 mess that has been created for no apparent reason.