minoanmiss (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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agonyaunt2021-02-25 12:43 pm
minoanmiss) wrote in agonyaunt2021-02-25 12:43 pm
Entry tags:
Dear Prudence: Badly Titled Work Question
"Help! I’m Really Tired of Following “Reasonable” ADA Guidelines for My Co-Worker."
Q. Reasonable accommodations: I am one of two people in my department at work. The other person on my team has ADHD, and also suffers from anxiety and depression. Due to these challenges, our office does its best to provide reasonable accommodations, per the guidelines of the ADA.
The problem: Their version of “reasonable” means expecting me to do all of his work, as well as my own, most of the time. At this point, people from other departments, as well as our higher-ups, copy both of us on every email, knowing that he will most likely never respond, and that I will complete whatever tasks need doing. It was already the case that I did two-thirds of the work before COVID, but over the course of the pandemic, that has gotten closer to 90 percent. I’m now working up to 75 hours a week, including late nights and weekends.
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Any attempts at talking with him or my higher-ups about more evenly distributing the work have gone nowhere. And when I tried talking to my HR department, they reiterated the ADA guidelines and reminded me that the company has a zero-tolerance policy for ableism. I don’t know how much longer I can handle this. I have nightmares about work and break down in tears at least once a week. I wish I could just quit my job, but I’m the primary breadwinner for my household, as my husband’s job is currently on furlough. Is there anything I can do?
A: There’s a vast difference between “This company must accommodate X employee’s needs according to the ADA” and “The only way this company can comply with the ADA is if Y employee works two jobs.” It’s the company’s responsibility to reasonably accommodate your colleague, not yours, and that should be your go-to line when speaking again to your own boss and HR. “I’m not able to work 75 hours a week anymore, and I cannot keep managing XY projects at this rate” is what you want to negotiate with them; they want to distract you from advocating for yourself by blaming your colleague, which does you both a disservice. Don’t allow them to cover for their exploitation of you by claiming the ADA requires such exploitation. It doesn’t. You may also want to contact an employment lawyer, if management continues in this line. They should not be doing this to you, and you have rights that are worth protecting.
Q. Reasonable accommodations: I am one of two people in my department at work. The other person on my team has ADHD, and also suffers from anxiety and depression. Due to these challenges, our office does its best to provide reasonable accommodations, per the guidelines of the ADA.
The problem: Their version of “reasonable” means expecting me to do all of his work, as well as my own, most of the time. At this point, people from other departments, as well as our higher-ups, copy both of us on every email, knowing that he will most likely never respond, and that I will complete whatever tasks need doing. It was already the case that I did two-thirds of the work before COVID, but over the course of the pandemic, that has gotten closer to 90 percent. I’m now working up to 75 hours a week, including late nights and weekends.
ADVERTISEMENT
Any attempts at talking with him or my higher-ups about more evenly distributing the work have gone nowhere. And when I tried talking to my HR department, they reiterated the ADA guidelines and reminded me that the company has a zero-tolerance policy for ableism. I don’t know how much longer I can handle this. I have nightmares about work and break down in tears at least once a week. I wish I could just quit my job, but I’m the primary breadwinner for my household, as my husband’s job is currently on furlough. Is there anything I can do?
A: There’s a vast difference between “This company must accommodate X employee’s needs according to the ADA” and “The only way this company can comply with the ADA is if Y employee works two jobs.” It’s the company’s responsibility to reasonably accommodate your colleague, not yours, and that should be your go-to line when speaking again to your own boss and HR. “I’m not able to work 75 hours a week anymore, and I cannot keep managing XY projects at this rate” is what you want to negotiate with them; they want to distract you from advocating for yourself by blaming your colleague, which does you both a disservice. Don’t allow them to cover for their exploitation of you by claiming the ADA requires such exploitation. It doesn’t. You may also want to contact an employment lawyer, if management continues in this line. They should not be doing this to you, and you have rights that are worth protecting.