Poll on job accommodation

[doublevision1]

For those who work for an employer outside the home, what has been the MOST helpful accommodation extended to you since becoming ill?

The poll will only let you select one option, so please pick the one that has been MOST helpful, and was implemented in direct response to your need for accommodation.  

If you select Other, please tell us about it.

If more than one apply, please elaborate in a post, and let us know whether they are making a difference in securing your place in the workforce.

I am asking this from two perspectives: first, as an employee for whom accommodation has been made due to my condition; and second, as an HR policy analyst, as I advise managers on how to implement adaptations for ill employees so that we meet our 'duty to accommodate' obligations.

[rendean]

I voted "work from home", which I do get to do, but I requested 3 days of working remotely and was only approved 2. Had to jump through rings of fire for those. But, long before that request, 2 months ago, they agreed to flex hours due to migraines which manifest as dizziness and once as doublevision. NOT a good thing in rush hour traffic. My commute is 30 miles one way and averages 45 min to an hour, so working remotely can take up to 3 hours "off" of my work day. Besides, working remotely doesn't involve the dress for success routine. I will say that my office is fair considering my appearance at work, in person, is sporadic and my job description is shared by only one other person in the firm and our job is unique and vital to the firm's daily workings.

To PastorDan

What a lucky man to work at a place that allows others generosity to shine through while helping you out in such a great way!

[PastorDan]

Thought about laying it all out here, but the department supervisor for my weekday employer has probably created a MedHelp account just so he can see if I say anything about him.  So far, my true opinion hasn't left this house in much detail, and for the time being, I'll just keep it that way.

We do have a nice employee benefit, which can include several other departments.  Those who accumulate tons of sick leave can donate some of it, anonymously, to a fellow employee who has run dry.  The donor must keep at least 120 hours in their account, and the donee must have used all their sick and vacation leave, and with each new pay period must again use their newly-earned sick and vacation leave first before dipping into the donated leave.  I've been the benefactor of this in recent weeks, thank God and the county commissioners.  I'm hoping this week will go more smoothly than some of those we've been in since Christmastime.  Last I knew, I was down to only a few hours donated left.

[MCBCON]

currently I do not work.  but when I did I was too afraid to tell my employee or ask for accomodations.  I failed at working with my condition, but telling my employer did not seem like a good idea.  I suppose it might have been wrong.  Yet, I just do not trust the corporations to be right with me.

I think I was wrong though.  whether corporation do the right thing does not matter I suppose I must do what is right anyway.

[wonko]

I voted, though my diagnosis is not MS.  I have chronic Lyme, or whatever you want to call it when long term, aggressive treatment is required.  I was sick for at least 1.5 years before my diagnosis, complicating my level of illness and my treatment.

My vote was for Reduction in regular work hours to part-time.  In addition, I also have flex hours (can start/stop at different times, work more some days than others).  I could telecommute, but my drive is <5 minutes so I haven't taken that option.  

The reduction in hours was very helpful to me.  Before, I wasted so much energy to just "be" at my desk, and I still had to come in late, leave early, and in other ways consume my sick and annual leave to accommodate my health.  Now, I don't carry around as much guilt about my productivity and waste less energy in just struggling to stay occupying my seat.  I'm actually re-accumulating some sick and vacation leave, too!

I was very fortunate, it is not standard for someone in my position to go part time.  It took about one month and a lot of memos.  Though it was a blow to my ego, it was a great decision.  I thought of taking a leave of absence, but 1) I would likely need a longer leave than I can comfortable afford to go without income, and 2) I would have lost my benefits.  (While I pay a bit more, I was able to keep my benefits.)

I can not say enough how lucky I am and how helpful my arrangement is to my treatment/recovery.  I use my extra time to invest in rest, exercise, and eat healthfully.  I am also lucky that this agreement is open-ended.  At first I thought I would only be at part time for a month or two, but at this time I see it as indefinite, and may well keep it this way until the end of my tenure.  (Quite sadly, I am not in a permanent position!)

[cydney27]

I was fired.  the comment was "unable to keep up" besides the few filing errors I made. I filed a lawsuit with the EEOC, but according to an attorney that I spoke with there is little hope of any monetary recovery, as I was undiagnosed at the time,and I filed for disability shortly after I was terminated. Plus the fact that I live is a "Right to Work" state... Oh well, C'est la vie!

[doublevision1]

Thought I'd get the ball rolling.  I've experienced most of these since my dx.

I answered Flex work hours in the poll; but it was a toss up between that and working from home.  Both of these accommodations have eased my way back into working towards a FT schedule.  

I don't have to be there every day at 8; so I'm not panicked running around the house in the morning getting ready.  I start at 9, so have time to do some stretching, have  breakfast and coffee, remember to take my morning pills, and rest a bit after blow drying and flat ironing, which I now find exhausting esp. b/c of the heat.

I usually work from home one day a week, in the middle of the week, to give myself one day where I don't have to expend a lot of energy getting ready.  I just hop on the computer and go.  I often get more done at home because there are no interruptions; however I'm still at the office the other 4 days of the week, so I remain engaged and don't feel isloated.

I started back to work part-time in Sept doing 15 hrs/week, increasing very gradually, I'm now up to 30 hrs/wk.  Hope to get to 40 very soon.

Ergonomic office equip and automatic doors were already in place so nothing additional needed to be done for me, other than speech recog software which I am still training on.  It can be tricky!  But if I used it more I could really let my gimpy left hand get some rest.

While I was off ill for a year from 2007-2008, it was paid disability leave.  In future, I may ask for the odd unpaid leave (1 - 4 weeks) in addition to my annual vacation, if I find I need the time to rest but would rather avoid going off ill repeatedly.  I would see a short unpaid leave just like vacation: time to relax, get some extra exercise, enjoy my friends, and focus on my health and well-being.