TG4MJ Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Pretty sure it's old high school wrestling injuries coming back to bite me in the keister, but for the last two months my knee has been in complete agony, pretty much to the point I have to use a cane. As if this weren't indignifying enough, I have been subject to harassment by other co workers, examples are as follows, I have been nicknamed "arthur" because in all likelyhood, I have arthritis though I haven't been diagnosed yet, though I'm sure that's what it is since it runs in the family. They often refer to the canes I use as over sized sex toys (don't know if I can say the actual words here) and generally make very gross and unsettling comments relating to that. We often sit in a van for several hours at a time, and I am often rudely ordered to sit in areas that leave my knee in a bad position that just leaves it in extreme pain when I finally get on my feet with zero reguard for how this affects me (one guy in particular did this just to look like a tough guy in front of a girl he likes) My boss had the gall to say he was tired of seeing me with my cane and implied that if my pain is weather related he doesn't want to see me using it when summer comes around. I have no idea who to go to this with, I mean if the manager had the nerve to say this, then I don't know who to go to. I know that when your disabled there are ADA rights that the workplace has to follow but I don't think that applies to me because being in pain is totally diff than being disabled. Does anyone know more about these kinds of things ? Link to post Share on other sites
Radu Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Talk to a labor attorney about this, also see if recordings can be made without the consent of the recorded party in your state as it would go a long way towards proving your case. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Taramere Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I have no idea who to go to this with, I mean if the manager had the nerve to say this, then I don't know who to go to. I know that when your disabled there are ADA rights that the workplace has to follow but I don't think that applies to me because being in pain is totally diff than being disabled. Does anyone know more about these kinds of things ? Well, I know about it in my jurisdiction because that's what I do for a living. A lot depends on where you live, but as far as I'm aware in pretty much any jurisdiction you should not be harassed or discriminated against for having a disability. In this case, it goes beyond mer harassment/discrimination. That employees of the company are forcing you to sit in positions that exacerbate your knee problem exposes that company additionally to the possibility of a personal injury action relating to any worsening of the condition. However, you have the responsibility to draw this to their attention. There's no way around it, I'm afraid. If you keep quiet for fear of making things worse then you are going to further impair both your health and the likelihood of you getting compensation in the long run. You absolutely must speak up, because if you don't then at some future date the company will say "well he had a duty to draw the problem to our attention and he failed to do so." Document everything and go and see both your doctor and your lawyer asap. For the sake of your health you can't afford to sit on this for much longer. Link to post Share on other sites
Emilia Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 We often sit in a van for several hours at a time, and I am often rudely ordered to sit in areas that leave my knee in a bad position that just leaves it in extreme pain when I finally get on my feet with zero reguard for how this affects me (one guy in particular did this just to look like a tough guy in front of a girl he likes) What's your job if I don't mind my asking? colleagues might not realise that those positions are bad for your knees. Have you had that conversation with them? Link to post Share on other sites
whichwayisup Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Pretty sure it's old high school wrestling injuries coming back to bite me in the keister, but for the last two months my knee has been in complete agony, pretty much to the point I have to use a cane. As if this weren't indignifying enough, I have been subject to harassment by other co workers, examples are as follows, I have been nicknamed "arthur" because in all likelyhood, I have arthritis though I haven't been diagnosed yet, though I'm sure that's what it is since it runs in the family. They often refer to the canes I use as over sized sex toys (don't know if I can say the actual words here) and generally make very gross and unsettling comments relating to that. We often sit in a van for several hours at a time, and I am often rudely ordered to sit in areas that leave my knee in a bad position that just leaves it in extreme pain when I finally get on my feet with zero reguard for how this affects me (one guy in particular did this just to look like a tough guy in front of a girl he likes) My boss had the gall to say he was tired of seeing me with my cane and implied that if my pain is weather related he doesn't want to see me using it when summer comes around. I have no idea who to go to this with, I mean if the manager had the nerve to say this, then I don't know who to go to. I know that when your disabled there are ADA rights that the workplace has to follow but I don't think that applies to me because being in pain is totally diff than being disabled. Does anyone know more about these kinds of things ? Go talk to someone in Human Resources. And, get a Dr's note explaining your arthritis in your knee and what it entails that you deal with on a daily basis. You are disabled with pain! It's the same thing! Link to post Share on other sites
Author TG4MJ Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 What's your job if I don't mind my asking? colleagues might not realise that those positions are bad for your knees. Have you had that conversation with them? I'm basically a door to door salesman. I can at least stretch my leg if I sit in the front but often some guy who likes to sit with one of our female co workers (puppy love) will take the spot, when Iattempt to sit on the edge they say I can't sit there either because the door knockers are going to get off first, inevitably I am forced to not only sit all the way in the back, but in a corner where I have to bend my knee at a weird angle, not a big deal if we work locally, but some times we travel all the way to neighboring counties and by the time we get there and we're able to get off the van, my knee hurts so badly I'm practically hobbling. If a dog or dangerous person chases me I'm pretty much dead meat ! Just to make things worse, when I do get down, the same people who make me sit in the corner pretend not to hear me when I ask them if they can please move over a little bit when I go get down for a stretch, then laugh at me if I fall. I might just end up going to pick up my first and last paycheck and just quitting then getting in contact with their corporate offices. Link to post Share on other sites
Thegameoflife Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I suggest finding a new job, one maybe where you can sit at a desk. It's easier and cheaper to find new work than go through all the crap to try and make things better. I know first hand about this. I'm getting out of my profession due to a cronic pain illness that has been disabling for me lately. People have been treating me like crap at work lately. The worse part, is that stress and other external factors aggrevate the problem further, so they're actually putting me through more pain by making my life harder. I think it's absolutely deplorable that people would treat someone with a disability this way. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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