Re: Health Reasonable Accommodation

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On 11/17/06, Charles wrote:
>
> I work for the Federal Government as a computer programmer.
> In my department there are four black females, three white
> males, and one asian male. The management chain is all
black
> female.
>
> There is a perception among the males that there are two
> classes of employees in our group - black females and
> everyone else. The black females seem to have carte
blanche.
> One of them has worked less than one year in the last
three,
> and is continuing this practice into a fourth year, yet her
> job is held open for her.
>
> I work a 4/10 schedule, that is, I work four ten hour days,
> and take one day off each week. We have a union contract
> that states in part:
>
> "Prior to the beginning of a pay period, an employee who is
> on 5/4-9 or 4/10 schedule may request that his/her normal
> day(s) off be changed for the upcoming pay period(s). The
> Employer will grant this request absent a severe workload
> interruption."
>
> Aside from the fact that the above clause is ridiculous, as
> a programmer, it literally makes no difference when I do my
> work, and that being the case, it should make no difference
> whatever which day I take off each week, yet the above
union
> clause is rigidly enforced for me.
>
> For about the past eighteen months, I have been dealing
with
> some serious health issues, and often need to accept
medical
> appointments the do not allow me to conform to the union
> contract. Yet, instead of allowing me to change my day off,
> I am forced to use sick leave or vacation and lose time
from
> work, completely unnecessarily.
>
> I am seeking an opinion from someone who is qualified to
> venture one as to whether it should be considered a
> reasonable accommodation request to allow me to change my
> day off for medical reasons, even though such a request
> might not conform to the rigid requirements of the union
> contract.
>
> Thank you for any advice or suggestions.
You have a contract. you must have a union rep. consult
them first. they are there to represent you and know what
the contract says, etc.