Question

Making a Way for the Disabled Worker

When twenty-seven-year-old Natasha Frechette learned that she had multiple sclerosis, she wondered whether she would not only need someone to take care of her but whether she would be able to keep her data manager job at the small research firm where she worked. After all, the disease with which Frechette was diagnosed could lead to numbness, blindness, and eventual paralysis. Not to mention she would need to take time off for physical and occupational therapy. In a related story, Joel Boswell could no longer work as a mechanic at United Airlines after he was treated for a brain tumor. The EEOC alleged in its class-action lawsuit against the airline that rather than hire Boswell for other jobs for which he was qualified, United placed him on involuntary leave until he retired. According to the EEOC attorney, “They [disabled workers] shouldn’t have to be competing with everybody else. If they can do these jobs they should try to work out an accommodation with the disabled worker.”

Frechette and Boswell are not alone. Millions of U.S. workers grapple with similar issues. In fact, over 7.4 million workers received Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits in 2008. Many of these workers suffer with serious or chronic illnesses that interfere with their ability to perform the work that bring so much meaning to their lives. Yet, many disabled employees do not let their employers know for fear of being perceived as a cop-out or of being discriminated against. Failure to disclose one’s illness, regardless of the reason, is risky. First, employers could mistake disability-related behaviors as dysfunctional behavior. For example, career coach Rosalind Joffe tells of client who, by not disclosing his illness to his employer, was accused of being a drug abuser. Most importantly, employers won’t know if and in what ways to adjust the disabled employee’s work if they don’t know that an adjustment is required.

Questions

1. As a manager, how would you balance a disabled employee’s needs for a work adjustment to your need to design jobs that meet organizational performance goals?

2. Do you believe United Airlines was justified in placing Boswell on involuntary leave? Explain.

Answer 1

1. I have to balance productivity with the ethical values of an organization as a manager and as a human being. Therefore, in cases where the employee is disabled and is unable to carry out his / her regular tasks and responsibilities, he / she should facilitate career reassignment. I should reassign various jobs and, on the grounds of his medical needs, grant the employee the required leave (unpaid / paid). If a person like Boswell is unable to conduct practical activities, administrative roles can be handled in such a manner that he would not be expected to perform heavy physical duties.

2. Yes, workers are any company's property and managers should insure that they are treated properly. Boswell was meant to have been given permission to return from the illness and then offered a position he would comfortably perform. This would maintain his drive and self-esteem. This results in stronger loyalty to the company.