Author Topic: Work place accommodations  (Read 2976 times)

Gennysmom

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Work place accommodations
« on: September 26, 2007, 10:30:24 am »
Has anyone out there gone through a formal workplace ADA accommodation process?  If so, how did it go and what helped/worked?  I'm going through it now, and getting the sinking feeling that they're using it to find out information from my doc on why they DON'T need to accomodate me, how I should be performing just fine without any help.  My performance is fine in the office, but at times it's like working in a restaurant at noontime because of the chatter, and it's very hard to stay focused and not make mistakes. 
3.1cm x 2.0cm x 2.1cm rt AN Translab 7/5/06
CSF leak 7/17/06 fixed by 8 day lumbar drain
Dr. Backous, Virgina Mason Seattle
12/26/07 started wearing TransEar

Brendalu

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Re: Work place accommodations
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2007, 12:01:12 pm »
I went through this twelve years ago after a bad auto accident.  I was the customer relations manager for an auto dealership.  Very noisy place and my office was upstairs.  I couldn't climb the stairs.  They had to move my office downstairs, put a door on my office and my seminars were moved to a conference room in a nearby hotel where the noise could be controlled and my customers didn't have to put up with the service department, body shop, sales department and all the rest.  I can't imagine doing your job after AN surgery.  My daughter is a paralegal for John O'Quinn and it is a noisy, busy place.  I spoke with her and she said that they do have a paralegal who works in her own office away from the noise because of the ADA.  She said the process didn't take long and getting the gal "hooked" up with what she needed didn't take any time at all.  Good luck.
Brendalu
Brenda Oberholtzer
AN surgery 7/28/05
Peyman Pakzaban, NS
Chester Strunk, ENT

Static

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Re: Work place accommodations
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2007, 06:19:53 am »
If your doctor tells them that you don't need special accommodations and doesn't want to help you, he's a pretty crappy doctor.  Contact him yourself and tell him what's going on in that office and tell him why you need his help.  He isn't a very understanding person let alone doctor if he won't help his patient who is, by the way, paying for his luxury lifestyle while you struggle day by day to get your life back in order after undergoing a life altering change.  I got laid off from a job because of my SSD but I couldn't prove anything because they said that the work had "slowed down" which I knew it didn't because I was doing it, I just wasn't fast enough for them because the office was so noisy and the girl across from me played the radio so loud I couldn't concentrate.  I wasn't gone 2 months and they hired someone else but they didn't tell me that until they knew I already had another job (it's called covering your butt) which took me 6 months, just as my unemployment was running out.  It was one of those offices where you fit in or you get out and I wasn't budging so they budged me instead!  Ok, so what I'm getting to is this.....  if something doesn't seem to be going right, contact the ADA for assistance and find out what your rights are before your employer tells you and decides to take them away from you.  Hopefully you won't need to go that route but you never know.  You don't want me to have to come up there and kick their butt Philly style now, do you???
3.5cm AN removed 1-21-04
CSF leak repaired 5/04
SSD Right

Gennysmom

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Re: Work place accommodations
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2007, 01:34:59 pm »
You and Matti's cousin Guido!!!!

My doc is great, he's even speaking civilian speak to them...I'm hoping I'm just being paranoid.  I hope he really knocks it to them with the next response.  I'm safe, I work for the government and I've had a shining post-surgical eval ("you do the work of 2 people").  Even so, it's the same old thing....I just want things to be normal and they're not going to be.  I just want to mind my own business and get my work done, but they won't quiet the office down.  I don't want to just quit because I have a lot of benefits and tenure here.....so...we'll see how it goes. 

Brendalu, thanks for the reassurance.  I hope it all turns out well, just makes me nervous.  They were the ones that came to me, so I'm just hoping that I'm not getting my hopes up for a quieter work space to just have them dashed. 

3.1cm x 2.0cm x 2.1cm rt AN Translab 7/5/06
CSF leak 7/17/06 fixed by 8 day lumbar drain
Dr. Backous, Virgina Mason Seattle
12/26/07 started wearing TransEar

Brendalu

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Re: Work place accommodations
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2007, 03:40:08 pm »
I don't think you are asking for too much.  What you are asking for is relatively simple.  Since you work for the government they should be pretty willing to comply.  I have a friend who works for the State of Kansas.  SHe is bipolar and they have done all kinds of things to help her stay working.  Another friend is a social worker for the State of Texas and they have accommodated her, so I don't think you are going to have a problem.  Keep your chin up!  It will work out.
Brendalu
Brenda Oberholtzer
AN surgery 7/28/05
Peyman Pakzaban, NS
Chester Strunk, ENT