1. If she doesn’t give a shit, why should I? I hope her day is tedious and annoying.

   I just want to throw it out there, for anyone in the same situation (chronic illness or disability) who feel like no one else would take them on: refusing to hire or firing someone due to a health condition is illegal. For companies over a certain size, time off for medical procedures is mandated by the Federal Medical Leave Act and reasonable accommodations are required by the Americans With Disabilities Act.

   Real companies offer a steady paycheck and possibly health insurance, which are things EVERYONE needs, but especially when you have medical bills (Mia Mason Porter, anyone?)

   So, if you’re feeling like MLM is your only option, it’s not. In fact it’s everyone’s worst option because you’re going to lose money instead of making it.

   Educate yourself and know there are much better ways.

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   • “I don’t know of any one (sic) in the corporate world that would hire and keep someone like me as an employee.”

     If you work in the corporate (aka the real world) and have a chronic illness or disability, it is ILLEGAL for that company to fire you because of that. As you pointed out, we have FMLA, which provides certain protections to you. (And for the love of the gods, please don’t abuse it if you have it. We had a nurse who had FMLA for a chronic illness, and she consistently called out of work. In a one-month period where she was scheduled for 12 shifts, she only worked ONE. She decided to leave the hospital because “the work wasn’t for me.”)

     13

     2

     • to be fair, FMLA only kicks in after you’ve worked there for a year. It can be tough for people with chronic illness to manage that. At least at the corporate job you don’t have to buy your own product.

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       • That is true, Maggie. Many corporations also offer some short-term disability that can help those with serious illnesses keep their jobs while taking the appropriate time off.

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     • Wait, what?! I was with you for your first paragraph. Then it went off the rails! Why do you assume that nurse was abusing FMLA? Maybe she was actually too sick or injured to work more? If she qualified for FMLA, she must’ve had some medical condition.

       If she had a chronic illness, hospital work was probably legitimately too taxing for her, so I don’t see her comment as suspicious. And there are plenty of less demanding nursing roles outside of hospital settings.

       This post comes off as very ableist. It also reinforces OP’s assumption that no one wants to hire someone with a medical condition or disability.

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       4

       • My comment was not ableist at all. I merely pointed out an example of someone who WAS abusing her FMLA. HR even spoke with her about her absences as she was no longer getting paid for the time she took off. They were concerned that she spent more time out of work than in work, which meant she was not getting paid and had no PTO banked. After being a staff nurse for over three years with the same system, she left of her own accord for another job (that surprisingly was a bedside position similar to the one she just left).

         The rest of the unit’s staff could no longer count on her to be there for her assigned shifts because she almost always called out. The shifts where she DID show up were often cut short because she HAD to leave. Instead of addressing her problem and taking time off to fix things, she would call out or show up and leave early. She constantly complained about the work, the people, and the patients. When you add everything up, a blind person could see how she abused her FMLA to avoid coming to work.

         When you’re already running short-staffed and someone calls out, that puts a lot of strain on everyone else and impacts patient care. Nurses are not inconsiderate or uncompassionate people. We get it when people are sick or need to be out for whatever reason. However, when you abuse the trust of your workmates, significant problems arise.

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2. “I don’t know of any one in the corporate world that would hire and keep someone like me as an employee.” She’s NOT AN EMPLOYEE! She has to PAY to stay an IBC, she’s in debt from her Mary Kay activities, and Mary Kay will continue to take her money for as long as she’s willing to give it to them.

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   • I don’t agreed that no one would keep someone like her and not because her disability. Rather because of her long history of poor judgement.

     2

3. Hi, I enjoy coming on here every once in awhile, to get inspired from those that got lied to.

   Hello and thank you for the world’s most unusual opening sentence. How can people who’ve been lied to by a company which prides itself on misleading and obscuring the truth be inspiring?

   And from those, like myself who haven’t given up. I’ve been a director, I earned the car (took the cash), I’ve had lots of personal team members (43 at one time). I’ve also lost it all, but not to MK. I did it on my own.

   I’m glad you saw through the Pink Car Trap and took the cash, but I believe that you lost it all because of Mary Kay Wagner Rogers Eckman Weaver Louis Miller Hallenbeck Ash’s company culture.

   I’m still in, I still have debt (most that I know, do too – so what).

   Congratulations, you made having debt sound like a point of pride, a sign that you are a dedicated follower of Mary Kay.

   In fact I’ve been in for 28 years! I won’t give it up.

   In debt and deluded. And probably a lot of non-flying inventory.

   I’ve been sick most of that time, and recently had back to back surgeries. I don’t know of any one in the corporate world that would hire and keep someone like me as an employee.

   You would be surprised. But the Polished Pink Lie Factory has you blinded.

   I work when I can, my mk(sic) money goes to bills, and to the charity work I do.

   Not going to cover much of your bills if, in fact, you are in debt like you already told us.

   I am grateful for your site. I have seen and learned from you all. It gives me insite (sic) on what not to do.

   And yet, leaving and returning what inventory you can has by-passed to in order to rack up your debts.

   I have even chewed out my national and my director. I’ve costed my national a few DIQ in their final months of qualifications, for something that was wrongly done to me.

   Not very “Go Give” of you. And not the flex you think it it is.

   I didn’t want it to happen to them. My last director ( I was moved twice by corp{sic}), is now a consultant. She told a consultant I was in last month of car qualification. I called the company and had cancelled that order, and a few others that month. I was so angry!

   I wonder why you have been moved, you sound like a pleasure to work with🤦‍♀️.

   I just wanted you to know, yes there are a few that won’t give up. Yes, I know a few of my sentences are wrong along with some words. I really don’t give a shit!

   SO, you’re not giving up being in debt, rather cringe.

   I was once told by my current director and NSD, that I shouldn’t write down to anyone my thoughts and concerns (maybe write it down, then throw it away, give it to God)- really!

   I wish you had taken their advice, I feel dumber for reading this.

   So I make sure that someone reads what I write or in this case type. Because really, do you really care. I thought not.

   Amazingly I do not care. I do, however feel rather sad for you. You are openly admitting to being in debt but you are still toeing the MKBot line. And after 28 years, you have nothing to show for it apart from your debts and a lot of unused and unwanted products on your shelves.

   Have a great day!

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   1

4. Ok, but were you on the painkillers from the back surgery when you wrote this?

   How do I get scrip for whatever heavy drug makes people think 28 years of debt and petty infighting are worth holding onto? That sounds like some good-good.

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5. I am…profoundly confused as to what this is trying to say.

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6. My reaction is mostly sadness. You have committed 28 years to this money-losing, non-supportive company with only debt to show for it. If you worked for a corporation like I do, you would have paid holidays, vacation, sick days, medical and dental benefits, disability, 401K, etc to support you.
   When my health declined I had to have major surgery, and later a life-saving transplant. Both times I was able to go on short-term disability when my PTO (paid time off) hours ran out. I was paid 80% of my normal pay during this time. I continue to work for this company and I am blessed to know security with health coverage, 401K savings, and a work history that will later help with Social Security payments in the future.
   A long time ago I looked at a possible “career” as a Mary Kay director and was dismayed to learn how much money would have to come out of my own pocket and that MKC did not pay any benefits–definitely no health, paid sick time or holidays. Plus you have to pay for your own training. You have NO security and your livelihood could be taken away at any time.
   I’m truly sorry you continue to put your trust in a company that doesn’t care about you. Or only cares as long as you’re active.

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7. This is a post where I wish the OP would come back to discuss. I have so many questions!

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8. Someone in Legal has put their foot down! Maybe this has already been posted here, but I just glanced at MK’s website and tapped on the Career Car page. Here’s what they’re admitting:

   “Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants who reach the status of Mary Kay Independent Sales Directors can earn the use of a Cadillac XT5 (or cash in lieu of). The Cadillac program was started by Mary Kay Ash to reward the best of the best. Earning the use of a Pink Cadillac takes work and dedication. Approximately 1.5% of Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants reach the status of Independent Sales Director. Approximately 10% of Mary Kay Independent Sales Directors earn the use of the iconic Pink Cadillac.

   “The Career Car Program also includes the opportunity to earn the use of a Chevy Equinox and Chevy Malibu (or cash in lieu of). Approximately 1% of Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants meet the criteria to earn the use of a career car (or cash in lieu of).

   “Since the Mary Kay Career Car Program’s inception in 1969, more than 171,000 independent sales force members have qualified or re-qualified to earn the use of a Mary Kay Career Car. There are currently over 3,600 Career Cars on the road nationwide, including over 1,000 Pink Cadillacs.”

   So, in 60 years, less than 175,000 people have earned the use of a car. That’s less than 2,900 people in the whole entire company a year. And only 10% of the top 1.5% drive pink Cadillacs.

   Incredibly glad I woke up and got out of that hamster wheel!

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   • They’ve been pushing “earn the use of” for quite a while instead of “win” or “give”. But that’s 0.15% earning the use of a Caddy,

     2

   • How are those figures counted? Is it first time “car qualifiers” or does each “new career car” get counted?
     I suspect that it is the latter to keep the numbers artificially high.

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     • Based on MK corporate strategies of the past, anything to deflect, distract, and/or not appear “negative” is at play here. I’m just hoping people are reading it and not just getting caught up in emotions.

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