topic Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work in Community Chat

Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Happiness Is Inside JOB — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 22:54:23 GMT

I want your opinion and idea how to handle a work issue. I requested a reasonable accomodation at work. I am a federal employee. I submitted my request through the correct channels.

I went to the doctor, the doctor completed the required paperwork, and the note indicating that I have a back problem and he outlined a series of things including an additional telework day, physical theraphy, and other things. I submitted the paperwork via the reasonable accomodations section of the Office.

A few weeks later, I received a letter from the RA Office that my request was approved. In addition an email with the letter was sent to my supervisor. It is my understanding that, once you talk to your supervisor, the RA Office prepares an agrrement of all parties to sign with start date/end date/ signatures etc.

Here is where the drama begins...

My supervisor never contacted me to discuss the matter. After two weeks went by I sent him an email indicating, attached is the RA Letter, I am approved, can we meet to determine a plan of action.

The furlough occured. Then about 1 weeks ago, he asked to meet with me to discuss. I specifically did not go into a lot of detail.about my back issues. HE wanted to know the details of my back issue but I was vague. I did follow the doctor's letter and indicated that I need to attend physical therapy.

WELL....

That was that, at the end of the meeting he said he needs to talk to other supervisors in leadership. NOTE, during the meeting, he made comments about people having other businesses, being on facebook when sick, etc. ....which I did not comment but i have always been an excellent employee and received outstanding performance.

SO YESTERDAY evening he comes to my desk at 3:45 pm and says you can start teleworking the additional day, we aren't going to go thru the RA Office, He asked did I call to make my physical theraphy appointments. I said no, I did not know I was approved. So then he said something along the lines of....well if you don't start now and if you want to start in 6 weeks...I can't approve it.

WHAT!!!

SO I did not say anything. I just said I would call the physical theraphy office.

Sidecomment - I don't want my telework day solely connected to Physical therapy. Other employees are teleworking for pain, length of commute, a series of things...so I don't want mine connected to PT.

Now that I'm thinking about this, I want to go the official RA route as I started. His comments lead me to believe their will be drama in the future, if not even full cancellation.

As a sidenote, there is another lady in the office, who they "LIKE" and they are allowing her to telework more days. THere is an EEO Case on their actions towards this person. SO if they let me telework without the RA agreement they can say they are not giving preferencial treatment to the other employee.

I can't confirm this but I know there is more to this request that I don't go via RA.

How do I respond???

My plan was is to send a short email on Monday indicating that....

I intentionally requested an RA Via the correct channels and i need to continue on that route.

Please give me your advice, good, bad, and please send me your ideas on what I should say in my email.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Diva on The Q — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:12:14 GMT

@Happiness Is Inside JOB: Since you are a federal employee, is your job unionized? If so, I think you should contact your union leader for advice and representation. Good luck!

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Bird mama — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:12:19 GMT

@Happiness Is Inside JOB I don't know all of the ins and outs of these things.

If it was me.....

There is an established process for reasonable accommodation. You provided the necessary information to the appropriate department and the request was approved.

Is the next step documented anywhere? By that I mean you write that it is your understanding that you are supposed to work out the specifics of the deal with your lead/supervisor and then the formal agreement is drafted by the RA office.

Is that documented somewhere? If there is formal documentation to that effect, then that is what I would follow.

Here's why, again just my opinion. The RA office has on file that you requested reasonable accomodation and they approved it. I wouldn't want to look like a nut and do something 'off the record' at this point by working it out with my lead/supervisor.

Why you need the reasonable accomodation is not up to the lead/supervisor. Now, should the RA office share your personal deets with him, well shame on them.

Since it sounds like an 'off the record' deal has gotten the lead/supervisor into hot water with EEO. I wouldn't want to be a part of that.

I realize this person has put you in an awkward position however, if it was me, I would hold my ground and go the formal route with clear documentation prepared by and filed with the RA office.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Happiness Is Inside JOB — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:18:31 GMT

Thank you so much

1) My office is not in the union

2) Yes, the RA office does have an official agreement. Also our telework policy allows supervisors to revise agremeents so he wants to go that route.

I don't want to go that route, I want to go the official way so you can't cancel, ask me to do other people's work since I "OWE" you for letting me telework additional days.

Our agency policy is one day per week to telework, I am asking for a second day..

As a sidenote, other employees are also participating via official RA agremeents within the department and that is what I want.

SO if he get's mad at me tomrrow, he can't cancel the plan.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Happiness Is Inside JOB — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:21:17 GMT

@Bird mama wrote:
@Happiness Is Inside JOB I don't know all of the ins and outs of these things.

If it was me.....

There is an established process for reasonable accommodation. You provided the necessary information to the appropriate department and the request was approved.

Is the next step documented anywhere? By that I mean you write that it is your understanding that you are supposed to work out the specifics of the deal with your lead/supervisor and then the formal agreement is drafted by the RA office.

Is that documented somewhere? If there is formal documentation to that effect, then that is what I would follow.

Here's why, again just my opinion. The RA office has on file that you requested reasonable accomodation and they approved it. I wouldn't want to look like a nut and do something 'off the record' at this point by working it out with my lead/supervisor.

Why you need the reasonable accomodation is not up to the lead/supervisor. Now, should the RA office share your personal deets with him, well shame on them.

Since it sounds like an 'off the record' deal has gotten the lead/supervisor into hot water with EEO. I wouldn't want to be a part of that.

I realize this person has put you in an awkward position however, if it was me, I would hold my ground and go the formal route with clear documentation prepared by and filed with the RA office.

BIRDMAMA...

I also agree with YOU. There is a policy, you are supposed to get an offiical agreement outling all the process connected to your RA agreement.

I would love to receive any draft ideas on how I should word my email.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Happiness Is Inside JOB — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:21:57 GMT

@Bird mama wrote:

BIRDMAMA...

I also agree with YOU. There is a policy, you are supposed to get an offiical agreement outling all the process connected to your RA agreement.

I would love to receive any draft ideas on how I should word my email.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Montana — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:26:11 GMT

As a former federal employee my advice is to complete your request through official channels. I don’t think anything good will come from doing things “under the table”.

Protect yourself.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Bird mama — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:35:02 GMT

@Happiness Is Inside JOB

The established process is the way to go. I'll tell you why, rofl. Mind you , this is no comparison to you or your situation, just a real life example of how 'these deals can go wrong'.

There was a girl in our department, let's call her Deedee. This woman was worse than Mikey (the life cereal kid) when it came to hating everything.

She said she had a sensitivity to certain smells. She could not identify the smells; was it a specific cologne, a specific soap, a specific food?

Nope, she just was a specific kind of snowflake.

If Deedee didn't take a shine to you, you put off some kind of smell that was choking her out and making her cough.

They moved her I don't know how many times because if it wasn't a smell, it was a noise.

Management bent over backward, like Gumby to accommodate this woman. They couldn't meet as a team unless they were in a huge conference room that accommodated 30 people because she would say she couldn't breathe because someone on her team was putting off smells that were causing her to choke.

The chick was addicted to nasal spray - I never saw a human being snort nasal spray every 10 minutes all dam* day long like Deedee.

Anyway after everything management did to accomodate her, she went to HR and filed a complaint against her team lead, manager and director for not accommodating her.

The solution was to move her away from her team so guess where they put her - right in front of the half wall workstation in front of me. I sat back to the window facing her and she said facing me and the window, with all of the special monitors, chairs and all the other equipment they ordered for her.

She tried chatting me up one day by talking about her favorite cologne, essential oils and lotions. I wanted nothing to do and told her that I was onto her. Here is where I lied - I said that I had my phone on recording video/audio when she was talking about her favorite foods, bath salts, essential oils and fragrances - and that I wasn't afraid to use them (we need a devil emoji here).

Suffice it to say, she and I never had a problem and no I didn't record her. It's against the law in Michigan.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Montana — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:53:23 GMT

@Happiness Is Inside JOB

Subject: RA Office Request

Text: After our recent meeting on (date) I have decided to complete my request through (Official Office Name).

Please let me know if you need additional information.

Signed (You)

ETA to add date of meeting.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

VaBelle35 — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:54:36 GMT

Do not go outside the proper channels. You have been approved for a RA and you need your agreement in writing and placed on file.

I have no idea what your manager's motives are, but you need to protect yourself and you can only do that if you follow the proper procedure through to the end.

He does not have your best interests in mind.

Keep a record of everything he says or does going forward, should you need to file a retaliation claim.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Bird mama — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 00:01:06 GMT

@Happiness Is Inside JOB

Since the reasonable accommodation paperwork needs a beginning and end date, I would think you need to get on the books with the PT people so you will have a date range for the RA office.

Once you get the beginning and end dates (at this point the end date might be an estimate depending on how well PT works for you), then I would send an email.

Question: Are you or leadership responsible for providing the dates to the RA Office?

I fully endorse the email route as it is date and time stamped I would probably start it off this way.

Good Morning John ,

I wanted to thank you for stopping by last Friday to briefly discuss alternatives to the formal reasonable accommodation process. Because the RA office has approved my application, it is my intention to follow that route for my needs.

*** I don't know if this is where you need to specify the date range and next steps because I don't know your process. Does he send the info to RA office and then they draft an agreement and you both sign or what?***

I am probably not the best person to give you advice because I am painfully straightforward. I'm not bluny, I just leave little room to wiggle, lol.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

libbyannE — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 00:06:26 GMT

Do things by the book, which you are doing. Since it sounds as if the supervisor is s stumbling block, I would call a meeting with supervisor, RA office because you need clarification.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Montana — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 00:08:30 GMT

@Happiness Is Inside JOB

As @VaBelle35 suggested document every encounter you have with this manager. Send follow-up e-mails recapping any conversations or interactions you have with him from here on.

You will have a “fact trail” if you need it.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Bird mama — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 00:16:34 GMT

@ Montana That's exactly why I suggested a semi-friendly short email that recapped Friday's convo. You gotta CYA sometimes.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

GCR18 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 02:10:38 GMT

It sounds to me that your supervisor doesn't believe you have a back issue. He asked about the issue and when you started PT. I think he is wanting to go around the policy because he doesn't agree this extra day should be permanent. I could be totally off base. I have 2 master degrees in reading minds of sneaky bosses. I'm feeling you don't have a boss=employee relationship with him. I would just go and talk with him.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Happiness Is Inside JOB — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 02:58:28 GMT

@GCR18 wrote:
It sounds to me that your supervisor doesn't believe you have a back issue. He asked about the issue and when you started PT. I think he is wanting to go around the policy because he doesn't agree this extra day should be permanent. I could be totally off base. I have 2 master degrees in reading minds of sneaky bosses. I'm feeling you don't have a boss=employee relationship with him. I would just go and talk with him.

I am worker and I do not have a social relationship with him. I have a feeling you are right.

I don't want to talk to him as I am not confident in my ability to Sell my situation. I thought my doctors note was enough and I did not think it was wise to go into medical details.

I would love to hear all comments!

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Happiness Is Inside JOB — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 03:08:03 GMT

As a side note

When he asks if I have made physical therapy appointment, I have said no because the request was not approved.

Maybe that was a mistake, should I have made physical therapy appointment?

Should I take leave to begin physical therapy until the matter is resolved?

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

chrystaltree — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 03:39:19 GMT

I don't understand how PT works it's way into RA, that makes no sense to me. PT is medical visit so just like a dentist appointment or your yearly physical; you would request time off from your supervisor. If you were granted a telecommute day under RA, you would not be required to to your PT on that day. That should not, in opinion, have been lumped into RA. It sounds to me that neither you nor your supervisor understands the RA approval process. You have a specific department that approves/denies RA requests and your's was approved so your supervisor cannot renegotiate or amend or deny it. It was approved. When he questionned the approval, you should have immediately gone to back to the RA Office and reported his failure to comply with the agreement and let them handle it. That's their job. You might want clarify the PT with them, that PT is part of the RA agreement. Stop communicating in any with that supervisor about something that your RA Office has already approved, advise them that he will not comply and let them handle it.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

santorini — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 03:47:10 GMT

I agree that you need to document everything. The email that someone suggested sounded like a good idea to me. I've also seen too many people over the years get laid off or fired because of extra needs. That's obviously not the excuse they give for the firing (hello lawsuit), but it's painfully obvious to others. My advice is to document your situation and then only take that 2nd telecommute day as long as you need - 10 weeks or so -- and then get back to your normal routine.

Re: Problem at Work-Reasonable Accomodation Issue at Work

Drythe — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 04:20:00 GMT

accommodatingMonday morning first thing,

CALL THE PERSON YOU WORKED WITH FOR YOUR RA

TELL them that you are not clear what is going on and that during your discussion with your supervisor, he gave you some suggestions which were not clear.

REQUEST THAT THEY SET UP A MEETING WITH THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, YOUR SUPERVISOR & yourself to clarify everything, ASAP!

Sorry, to yell, but Been There, Done That, it can go horribly wrong, especially when dealing with someone who is already Involved in an EEOC suit.

Do this to protect your rights, and the acomodation for which you have already been approved.