Reasonable accommodation?

[Pacer41]

State: OHIO

I am a 57 year-old female who was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hypertension in November 2011. I control BP with medication, however, stress is the major contributing factor at this point in time. I hold an exempt managerial position at a large company. Typically, exempt employees at this company are expected to put in between 50-55 hrs per week. I have been doing that for the past 11 years with this company. Mr doctor has restricted my hours to 40 max per week. As a result, I requested some modification in the reporting structure of a portion of those direct reports I have. I was told by my new manager that she would need to think about it, but that actually, she had been considering adding MORE responsibilities and reportees to my position. Company management is aware of my serious health condition. Did I ask for something not reasonable?

 

[Beth3]

Nobody but your own employer would know what constitutes a reasonable accommodation. We don't know what position you hold, what your job responsibilities are, what the workload is, what the workload of your department and co-workers are, the economic conditions your employer may be laboring under (i.e. a hiring freeze), and so on.

If you have a human resources representative, I suggest you speak to them as well about your medical condition and request for accommodation.

 

[cbg]

Agree entirely with Beth's answer but just want to point out that the EEOC, which is the regulatory agency for the ADA, acknowledges that a modified schedule can be a reasonable accomodation but that dis-accomodating other employees is not.

 

[Pacer41]

Thanks. I actually did make the request of the HR representative back in December of 2011. She actually says she hasn't had a response back yet... I see my doctor again next week. The request I am making is simply to put the reporting structure back to the way it was 3 years ago prior to my having surgery. The company has no current hiring freeze and is a Fortune 100 company.

 

[Beth3]

Under the ADA, your employer is required to enter into an inter-active discussion with you to determine what, if any, reasonable accommodations are feasible. More has to happen that just your waiting around for 3+ months to see if the accommodation you've requested is possible. I suggest you contact your HR rep again.

 

[Pacer41]

Thanks, Beth. I agree and I will pursue as suggested. I should probably make a written request, identifying the situation and what I feel might be reasonable without adversely affecting my employees or colleagues.

 

[parkersharon32]

Talk to your HR again, they should come up with some solution at the earliest. Let us know the progress.

 

[eerelations]

Talk to your HR again, they should come up with some solution at the earliest. Let us know the progress.

Given OP's already been told this a couple of times and has already agreed to the others' suggestions, your belated (and non-legal!!!) advice is redundant at best.

 

[csi7]

I'm interested in why it's taking so long.

For every reasonable accommodation I have asked for, the one that took the longest only took a week for the replacement part to come in.

The maintenance personnel, the management staff, and the co-worker's reasonable accommodation were all addressed in the same time.

Best wishes!

 

[Pacer41]

Hr responded

I got an email from HR rep, I need to have documentation (from my doctor I presume) as to the nature, severity, duration of my serious medical condition and to what degree the essential functions of my job are affected, and as to what degree the disability interferes/restricts my ability to perform my job. Again, all my doctor is stating is that I work only 40 hours per week - which does support a "full-time" position as I was never officially required to work more than that. But, as we know, as an exempt employee under both state and federal guidelines, the company has every right to expect me to put in the necessary "casual" overtime required to effectively fulfill my job duties. Accordingly, over the past 12 years, I have worked 50 to 60 hours per week at times based on workload. Coincidently, the same day HR responded, my boss indicated that she wants me to assume additional responsibilities and additional direct reports....I am started to smell a rat...