Comments on: Can people with chronic illness be productive workers? YES! http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/ Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:53:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Sherril http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/#comment-1285 Sherril Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:53:25 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/#comment-1285 I've gotten some ideas about things we can do, things that are being done: http://www.copower.org/ and http://www.thenthdegree.com/default.asp and http://www.thenthdegree.com/feisty.asp. Found these links on the one and only ChronicBabe. I’ve gotten some ideas about things we can do, things that are being done: http://www.copower.org/ and http://www.thenthdegree.com/default.asp and http://www.thenthdegree.com/feisty.asp. Found these links on the one and only ChronicBabe.

]]> By: Rosalind http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/#comment-1279 Rosalind Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:45:05 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/#comment-1279 Sad but true, isn't it? I don't know your situation but too often waving the ADA creats even more animosity - because people feel forced into something. It can be especially tough with invisible chronic illness because disability is invisible. I imagine you've tried to work with your supervisor on this before going to the ADA office (you actually have one?) - but once you're back to full time, another job is the best bet... but be strategic in what you look for. Sad but true, isn’t it? I don’t know your situation but too often waving the ADA creats even more animosity - because people feel forced into something. It can be especially tough with invisible chronic illness because disability is invisible. I imagine you’ve tried to work with your supervisor on this before going to the ADA office (you actually have one?) - but once you’re back to full time, another job is the best bet… but be strategic in what you look for.

]]> By: Julie http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/#comment-1276 Julie Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:03:16 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/#comment-1276 Heads out of what? lol...jk. But seriously, the only approach I have found effective in my situation, sadly, is to force things through my company's ADA office. Even now, when I place any sort of question about doing something that they are not being forced to do, I get a very angry "That is an essential function of the job, you must do it or you will be fired". Super environment, right? The problem is that because I am being forced back to work due to my financial situation, and am not yet at full time, I can't look for work without risking the disability payments that are making up the difference of my salary. In addition, today my doctor told me that it is a blue-eyed miracle that I am working as much as I am, and that she isn't sure that she would be willing to authorize anything more than another six hours per week (still below the full time that my employer is expecting me to work up to). I believe that it is more than possible for a disabled and/or chronically ill person to be a very productive member of a team, but illness doesn't seem to be accepted as good of an excuse as 'my child is sick' or 'I need to take my car in' when it comes to a need for flexibility. When I think of this idea and quandary I think back to my political science minor in college. One of my professors said (paraphrasing of course, my memory isn't that good!), "You cannot legislate social change. Just because a law is created doesn't make people believe in that law. However, part of the job of laws is to ensure that people are treated fairly, EVEN FROM THOSE WHO DON'T FEEL THAT THE FAIR TREATMENT IS CORRECT OR JUSTIFIED." (my emphasis, not hers) I hate to think that forcing someone's hand is ever the correct solution for justice and equitable treatment, but is that all that we are left to? Julie Heads out of what? lol…jk. But seriously, the only approach I have found effective in my situation, sadly, is to force things through my company’s ADA office. Even now, when I place any sort of question about doing something that they are not being forced to do, I get a very angry “That is an essential function of the job, you must do it or you will be fired”. Super environment, right? The problem is that because I am being forced back to work due to my financial situation, and am not yet at full time, I can’t look for work without risking the disability payments that are making up the difference of my salary. In addition, today my doctor told me that it is a blue-eyed miracle that I am working as much as I am, and that she isn’t sure that she would be willing to authorize anything more than another six hours per week (still below the full time that my employer is expecting me to work up to).

I believe that it is more than possible for a disabled and/or chronically ill person to be a very productive member of a team, but illness doesn’t seem to be accepted as good of an excuse as ‘my child is sick’ or ‘I need to take my car in’ when it comes to a need for flexibility.

When I think of this idea and quandary I think back to my political science minor in college. One of my professors said (paraphrasing of course, my memory isn’t that good!), “You cannot legislate social change. Just because a law is created doesn’t make people believe in that law. However, part of the job of laws is to ensure that people are treated fairly, EVEN FROM THOSE WHO DON’T FEEL THAT THE FAIR TREATMENT IS CORRECT OR JUSTIFIED.” (my emphasis, not hers)

I hate to think that forcing someone’s hand is ever the correct solution for justice and equitable treatment, but is that all that we are left to?

Julie

]]> By: Rosalind http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/#comment-1270 Rosalind Sun, 21 Oct 2007 14:53:42 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/#comment-1270 Not sure. Would love to know other's ideas????? Not sure. Would love to know other’s ideas?????

]]> By: Sherril Johnson http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/#comment-1269 Sherril Johnson Sat, 20 Oct 2007 15:15:57 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/#comment-1269 So how can we help them to pull their heads out? So how can we help them to pull their heads out?

]]> By: Free Diabetes Information » Can people with chronic illness be productive workers? YES! http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/#comment-1268 Free Diabetes Information » Can people with chronic illness be productive workers? YES! Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:09:10 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2007/10/19/can-people-with-chronic-illness-be-productive-workers-yes/#comment-1268 [...] ck_rish wrote an interesting post today on Can people with chronic illness be productive workers? YES!Here’s a quick excerptIn an Op Ed piece in The Boston Globe, Ranch Kimball, chief executive of Joslin Diabetes Center (Boston, MA) wrote: “…more than half of all Americans have at least one chronic illness…” “The Milken study pegs the total cost of these … [...] […] ck_rish wrote an interesting post today on Can people with chronic illness be productive workers? YES!Here’s a quick excerptIn an Op Ed piece in The Boston Globe, Ranch Kimball, chief executive of Joslin Diabetes Center (Boston, MA) wrote: “…more than half of all Americans have at least one chronic illness…” “The Milken study pegs the total cost of these … […]

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