BOSTON — Eve Griffin, a fine arts curator at the Boston Public Library who’s battling terminal cancer, spoke out against her employer’s decision to allegedly deny her sick time off.
“Everyone I’ve talked to has been so shocked,” she told Boston 25 exclusively over the weekend. “They had the chance to be the good guy.”
Griffin was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, and it’s developed to stage 4 – a terminal condition.
She’s been under intense treatment and has needed time off.
The Professional Staff Association at the Boston Public Library said Eve’s first request for 30-days off was accepted by them. However, the second request at the end of this year, they say, was denied by human resources.
Griffin added, “I wasn’t expecting to get that news. It really just seemed like a no-brainer… The Boston Public Library had the opportunity to make the compassionate choice and they decided not.”
The union told Boston 25 last week that Griffin was trying to take from their sick bank, where union members can donate sick days for those in need.
The library allegedly denied her access to it.
Griffin continued, “I’m able to do my job and I want to do my job. I just want to be able to not have to worry about my financial situations versus my professional situation… I have to dip into my savings to pay my bills.”
Griffin and the union have been fighting to get the attention of library and city leadership for the last few weeks, they say.
Griffin finished through tears, “Everyone is just shocked and appalled for me, and that’s been nice. It’s good to know I’m not crazy! This is a terrible thing.”
Boston 25 reached out to Boston Public Library for more information but hasn’t heard back.
Last week, they released a statement reading:
“Out of respect for the rights of the public employees who work here to confidentiality and to the privacy of their protected health information, it is our longstanding policy to not comment on personnel matters -- even when those issues have entered the public domain.
That said, as a department of the City of Boston, we are required to implement the City of Boston’s policies for sick leave and paid time off, which ensure employees access to the many benefits to which they are entitled. These benefits are available regardless of race, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, diagnosis, or other issues.
We are also committed to abiding by both the spirit and the letter of the contracts we sign with our unions. These agreements, agreed to by both the BPL and its unions, provide the appropriate framework within which we address complex employment issues.”
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