Posted by BarbaraCat on August 3, 2002, at 16:52:32
In reply to Re: Am I Being Awful? (sorry long) » mair » no longer naive, posted by mair on August 2, 2002, at 20:14:23
No, you wouldn't have to provide accomodations for her if it's not 'reasonable'. That is, if it's going to negatively impact your business, i'ts not a reasonable choice. She can't give you a definite time when she'll be back and you don't feel she's able to do a critical job in your company. That's reason enough to find someone else who can be consistent and better able to handle the job. But I'm not an expert on this, only know what I do because of my own situation.
It sounds like you care about her and are willing to help her as best you can. Maybe you could do some exploring for her while she's in this difficult place. The social security office seems like the next step. It's the only other source I'm aware of that can give her aid if she can't work, other than Unemployment. She can apply for Social Security even if she's on unemployment. But SSI disability benefits are a long frustrating haul. I'm in the second appeal process after 1 year off work.
> Thanks that's all good advice. I'm not the one to make the decision although I certainly have some influence as one of the "owners" of this business. Also we're very small (10 people) so we're not extensively managed. This secretary has no disability insurance that I'm aware of, although I guess Social security might apply. Do you think the ADA would really require us to create a job for someone who could no longer perform her job? I mean the special accommodation she would need is parttime work and those slots don't exist.
>
> Mair
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:27701
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020728/msgs/27968.html