T
Treated Unfavorably
Guest
I currently am employed by a temporary agency located in Pennsylvania. I am currently on an assignment through the
agency, in which I am a receptionist/AP clerk.
I told my supervisor I had a hearing disability on the day she interviewed me. She started asking me questions about whether or not I wear hearing aids. I told her I do not wear them, and that I find them annoying. I told her that when I am on the phone, my hearing aid starts squealing in my ear and that makes it more difficult for me to hear the other person. My audiologist says that this is normal, and that there is nothing she can do to make the squealing stop. She said that the only thing I can do is hold the phone another inch away from my ear. I have tried that, and I have found that I hear best on the phone without hearing aids. My hearing loss is in both of my ears, and it is only a 30% loss.
I told my supervisor all this, and she seemed like in the beginning she had no problem with it. As a receptionist, I not only have to answer phones, I have to greet visitors.
On the first few days of work, every time a visitor came through the door, a bell rang to let me know that someone is visiting. After the first few days of work, I noticed the bell
was no longer ringing. I thought at first that maybe it was malfunctioning. This did make my job more difficult, because I could not always know when a visitor was at the
door. The lobby that the visitors enter when they first come through the main entrance is closed off from the rest of the building. There is a little window which I slide open to greet the visitors. If a visitor comes through the main entrance, I will not know they have entered unless of course I saw them enter. Because the lobby is closed off from the rest of the building, I cannot hear visitors enter the building.
A couple of weeks later, my supervisor had a private meeting with me. She said I am doing an excellent job, but
she said she had only one request - that I wear my hearing aids. She said she had been receiving complaints from visitors. She said some visitors thought I was ignoring them, and they said they tried to get my attention but couldn't.
I told my supervisor that I did not like wearing hearing aids because they annoyed me when I was on the phone. I asked her if she could turn the bell that rings when visitors enter back on. She said she could not because that bell is only used when the receptionist is absent. I guess she can't make an exception for a person with a mild hearing loss.
Just tell me, when are employers going to finally realize that just because I have a hearing loss doesn't mean I can't successfully perform on the job? A previous employer forced me to purchase hearing aids, which cost me over $3000.00. My employer-provided insurance did not cover them. My employer knew this, stated this to me, and did not offer to pay for them.
I should not have to accomodate my employer. My employer should be accomodating me!
agency, in which I am a receptionist/AP clerk.
I told my supervisor I had a hearing disability on the day she interviewed me. She started asking me questions about whether or not I wear hearing aids. I told her I do not wear them, and that I find them annoying. I told her that when I am on the phone, my hearing aid starts squealing in my ear and that makes it more difficult for me to hear the other person. My audiologist says that this is normal, and that there is nothing she can do to make the squealing stop. She said that the only thing I can do is hold the phone another inch away from my ear. I have tried that, and I have found that I hear best on the phone without hearing aids. My hearing loss is in both of my ears, and it is only a 30% loss.
I told my supervisor all this, and she seemed like in the beginning she had no problem with it. As a receptionist, I not only have to answer phones, I have to greet visitors.
On the first few days of work, every time a visitor came through the door, a bell rang to let me know that someone is visiting. After the first few days of work, I noticed the bell
was no longer ringing. I thought at first that maybe it was malfunctioning. This did make my job more difficult, because I could not always know when a visitor was at the
door. The lobby that the visitors enter when they first come through the main entrance is closed off from the rest of the building. There is a little window which I slide open to greet the visitors. If a visitor comes through the main entrance, I will not know they have entered unless of course I saw them enter. Because the lobby is closed off from the rest of the building, I cannot hear visitors enter the building.
A couple of weeks later, my supervisor had a private meeting with me. She said I am doing an excellent job, but
she said she had only one request - that I wear my hearing aids. She said she had been receiving complaints from visitors. She said some visitors thought I was ignoring them, and they said they tried to get my attention but couldn't.
I told my supervisor that I did not like wearing hearing aids because they annoyed me when I was on the phone. I asked her if she could turn the bell that rings when visitors enter back on. She said she could not because that bell is only used when the receptionist is absent. I guess she can't make an exception for a person with a mild hearing loss.
Just tell me, when are employers going to finally realize that just because I have a hearing loss doesn't mean I can't successfully perform on the job? A previous employer forced me to purchase hearing aids, which cost me over $3000.00. My employer-provided insurance did not cover them. My employer knew this, stated this to me, and did not offer to pay for them.
I should not have to accomodate my employer. My employer should be accomodating me!