Apr
6
Termination shouldn’t be the answer to a disability | Houston Chronicle
Filed Under Work & Disability
Termination shouldn’t be the answer to a disability
So when do you tell the boss? And how much do you say?
For workers with a hidden disability — or one that’s not very obvious — they’re thorny questions.
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to provide a reasonable accommodation for employees who can perform the essential functions of their job.
But if you’re feeling vulnerable already, it’s not so easy to ask for help, whether it’s a stool for a cashier or time off to go to the doctor.
First reaction: quit
For those who have been recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, many times their immediate reaction is to think they need to quit, said Alicia Barron, coordinator of programs and services for the Lone Star Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in Houston.
Typically, that’s the time when their symptoms of the autoimmune disorder are the most severe, she said. Multiple sclerosis is most commonly diagnosed between the prime working ages of 20 and 50.
But the symptoms, which vary widely from person to person, can come and go. At times walking can be difficult, while at other times it’s easy. Vision can wax and wane.
The accommodations don’t have to be complicated, said Barron, whose society is part sponsor of a new site, www.msworkplace.com. Some can be as simple as changing a computer font for someone struggling to read a screen.
Looking at a job change
For others, an accommodation isn’t enough, and a job change might be the better option. She said it doesn’t necessarily have to mean a new field, though. If someone is working in construction and finds it increasingly difficult to handle the heat or fatigue or perhaps is having trouble with balance, construction management might be a good alternative.
The key is to keep folks working if that’s what they want to do.
“I think sometimes employers don’t think about how to keep the person. They just let them go,” said Barron, whose dad lost his job after an MS diagnosis.
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