By Mary, The Undercover HR Director ("OnYourSide" in the Forums) The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities. For all the kicking and screaming by employers about making accommodations, you’d think accommodations cost them millions of dollars – but it’s not true! Accommodations for people with disabilities are usually extremely low or even no cost. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) conducted a study recently that showed as many as 56 percent of workplace accommodations cost NOTHING. Of those accommodations that did have a cost, the average one-time cost was $600. What other kind of investment could an employer make in their employees that would buy them so much goodwill? What … [Read more...]
How To Request Job Accommodations From Your Boss By Using the ADA
Podcast #10: Bully Boss Creates Hostile Work Environment by Forbidding Bathroom Breaks!
Don't Have iTunes on Your Computer? Free Download from Apple w/ easy install instructions. Main Segment In the Main Segment of Episode #10 we tackle the issue of "Bully Bosses Who Forbid Bathroom Breaks." This craziness happens much more frequently than you may think. Can you guess who the primary victims are? #1 Spanish radio station in Miami The radio show I mention during the show is 98.3. My thanks to Frank, the Undercover Lawyer community member from Miami who got the book and called in to 98.3 to talk about it. Thanks Frank! All Spanish UCL Site Now Launched: www.demandas-empleos.comNew Segment -- The Q & A: We also debut a new segment in Episode #10, the Q&A. In you have a legal question about work that you think other listeners would be interested in, send … [Read more...]
I’m Being Harassed at Work! What Can I Do?
By Jenn S. Illegal harassment in the workplace is no joke. Workplace harassment involves unwelcome and offensive conduct that is based on race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy), religion, disability, or age (age 40 or older). Many states also have other protected classes so it is important to be familiar with your own state’s discrimination laws. Some examples of harassment include offensive or derogatory jokes, racial or ethnic slurs, pressure for dates or sexual favors, unwelcome comments about a person's religion or religious garments, or offensive cartoons or pictures, to name a few. Keep in mind, however, that not all workplace harassment is illegal. Discrimination laws generally do not prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents … [Read more...]
Can Complaining About Job Harassment Save You From Layoffs?
How many news stories have you seen or read lately that blare dark and stormy stories of our slowing economy, banks going bankrupt, and workers facing wave after wave of mass layoffs? Have you noticed, too, how people act out during stressful times? Sometimes they act out in stupid ways. A male co-worker acted stupidly toward Jessica Houston, when she was sharing a half-time scheduler position at an Indianapolis hospital. But the male co-worker wasn't the only bad actor in this case; Jessica's manager got involved too. There was plenty of stupid to go around. Real Life Case: The male co-worker was 52, and Jessica was 22. Two times he found her in a break room or lunch room, sat down in her lap, and whispered in her ear "You're beautiful." Houston felt ashamed and … [Read more...]
Can You Be Harassed at Work by …a Radio?
You know those creepy people who drive around real slow with their car stereos blaring? Those creepy people have jobs. And when you are stuck sitting next to one at work, you can’t just start up your cubical and drive away. Your co-workers’ radio volume isn’t the only reason you may feel harassed by a co-worker’s listening habits. More and more people have portable satellite radios, which broadcast without the decency restraints the FCC places on traditional AM/FM radio shows. Sexually explicit talk and songs lyrics laden with swear words commonly come out of satellite radio (and sometimes come out of regular radios and CD players). Satellite radio isn’t the only new source of music in the workplace. Computers can “stream” radio shows and podcasts and play them through … [Read more...]
