Hi there,

Im new to posting on forums but it looked very helpful here.

My mum's primary breast cancer has returned and is now in her lung. She was told yesterday that they will only treat to control and have predicted 14 months. I was so numb yesterday up until I went to work today.

My work is a very small business and the office manager is very sensitive about the running of the office. When my mum initially found out the cancer was back she sent me home for half the day which I really appreciated. When we found out my mums prognosis yesterday I had to stay with her as she was distraught. But when I went back in to work today all they talked to me about was how I owed all that time back and they would take it as annual leave. Im happy to work flexi to do this but at the beginning of such a horrific and uncertain time ahead, I found it really difficult to understand what they were saying or why this was the conversation they chose to have the day after my mum was told she would die. 

Its quite a clicky office and I am new. My manager keeps saying she's going out on a limb and implying I'm being difficult because I have to have time off with my mum. The company doesn't offer compassionate leave either.

I just wanted to see if anyone else had some trouble with their workplace in this situation and I'm a bit overwhelmed with what to do and not sure if I'm being extra-sensitive or unreasonable?

The most important thing to me is my mum and I feel like this is making it harder

Any advice would be much appreciated!!