[nagdu] Question about taking off work to go get a guide dog

Fri Jan 7 03:55:31 UTC 2011

I can't speak for other schools, but I know that Seeing Eye is good
about giving people time to do work stuff or participate in conference
calls if you need to do so. There were a couple of people in my 2008
class that had to do this and the trainers just worked around the
person's commitments or calls. I would imagine that most other schools
would do this as well, but you would have to check with the individual
school to be sure.

Wayne

On 1/6/11, Tonia Gatton <tonton at insightbb.com> wrote:
> Thanks everyone for your input.  I am hopeful they'll give me admin leave.
> I'll keep you posted.
>
> Tonia
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michael Hingson" <mhingson at sbcglobal.net>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 2:18 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Question about taking off work to go get a guide dog
>
>
> Gary,
>
> I agree.  However, what is important to us may not be so to an employer.
> This is a discretionary decision at present although I think there are good
> cases for time not being charged as leave but rather as education.
>
> The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
>  "Speaking with Vision"
> Michael Hingson, President
> (415) 827-4084
> info at michaelhingson.com
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> availability please visit www.michaelhingson.com
> Thunder Dog is now available for early ordering on Amazon!!!
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> 1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289090352&sr=1-3
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>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of GARY STEEVES
> Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 11:14 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Question about taking off work to go get a guide dog
>
> Hello Mike:
>
> I probably represent the worse case scenario. I'm a contract social worker
> which means I have no paid leave. the best I can do is work extra days to
> create a buffer for hours as long as I'm on budget targets at the end of our
> fiscal year. This means I probably lost about half a months wages. Luckily I
> was able to work extra days in the couple of months leading up to my class
> date. I'm a part time worker which also makes this possible. I also set
> things up so I could do some work remotely on the computer but, too be
> honest, I only billed for about 8 hours. I found myself usually wiped out
> after the class day ended and by the time I talked with my girlfirend and
> did a bit of blogging I didn't have any energy for real work. I was
> surprised how tired I was at the end of each day.
>
>
> Too me, it seems wrong for people to have to use up their holidays to go and
> do something that is so important and not a holiday. Not too mention, having
> some holiday time during the first 3 months with the new puppy is probably
> good for both of you.
>
> Gary
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "PICKRELL, REBECCA M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
> Date: Thursday, January 6, 2011 10:48 am
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Question about taking off work to go get a guide dog
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>
>> Mike,
>> Nosy question here but did your policy at GDB require employees
>> to get a GDB dog?
>> I also had my time count as training. If your company teaches
>> anything that a person could use at home i.e. Excel, then you've
>> got a good case.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On Behalf Of Michael Hingson
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 9:35 PM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Question about taking off work to go get a
>> guide dog
>>
>> Hi Tonia,
>>
>> You raise an interesting question many of us have faced.  I
>> worked at Guide
>> Dogs for the Blind for more than six years and even there we
>> were presented
>> with this issue.  When an employee needed to get a new
>> guide the first
>> inclination of HR was to charge leave.  After some
>> discussion HR decided to
>> require the use of vacation time.  Most of the blind
>> employees felt that
>> since using a guide dog was necessary and invaluable for travel
>> that we
>> pushed back and said that getting a guide dog was like any other
>> educationor training that an employee needed for their
>> job.  Of course, the education
>> was emphasized at GDB due to the fact that the particular
>> employee and all
>> of us worked there.
>>
>> After further research the HR department acquiesced and in fact
>> agreed that
>> obtaining a guide dog was relevant and a reasonable
>> accommodation for its
>> blind employees and thus not only did not charge leave but paid
>> regularwages while the employee was getting a new guide
>> dog.  The employee, for
>> their part, did some work during off hours.
>>
>> I have heard of other employers taking this same position.
>> There is not, to
>> my knowledge, any specific law president which makes the GDB
>> approach a
>> certainty, but I suggest marshaling your thoughts and forces and
>> take the
>> position that this particular training and education is good for
>> your job.
>> Since you are in a rehabilitation arena I would think you could
>> make a good
>> case.
>>
>>
>> Mike Hingson
>>
>> The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
>>  "Speaking with Vision"
>> Michael Hingson, President
>> (415) 827-4084
>> info at michaelhingson.com
>> To learn more about my upcoming book, speaking topics and speaking
>> availability please visit www.michaelhingson.com
>> Thunder Dog is now available for early ordering on Amazon!!!
>> http://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Dog-Blind-Triumph-
>> Ground/dp/140020304X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289090352&sr=1-3
>>
>>
>> for info on the new KNFB Reader Mobile, visit:
>> http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On Behalf
>> Of Tonia Gatton
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 6:03 PM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [nagdu] Question about taking off work to go get a
>> guide dog
>>
>> Hi all!  My name is Tonia and I am a long time
>> federationist.  After
>> procrastinating for many years, I recently applied to get a
>> guide dog from
>> the Seeing Eye.  I actually had my home visit this
>> afternoon and I'm hoping
>> to go for training this spring or summer.  I'm so excited!
>> Anyway, my question for you guys is how you handled taking
>> nearly 4 weeks
>> off work.  I work full time as a rehab teacher with a state
>> agency; so my
>> employer is familiar with the process.  What I don't have a
>> clear
>> understanding of though is whether or not I'll have to use my
>> own leave for
>> the time I'm away at training; or, if they are required to give
>> me some sort
>>
>> of medical leave with pay.  Due to various personal health
>> issues as well as
>>
>> having to care for family members with chronic illnesses and
>> cancer in
>> recent years,  I currently do not have much accumulated
>> sick or annual
>> leave.  Therefore, if I had to use my own leave to go for
>> training, I'd have
>>
>> to put it off for several months in order to build up my leave
>> balance;
>> especially since like most, I can not afford to take 4 weeks off
>> without
>> pay.
>>
>> I've heard a lot of different prospectives on the leave
>> situation.  I'd just
>>
>> like to find out from you all as to if there are any ADA
>> guidelines
>> regarding this matter; and how your employer's dealt with your
>> needing to
>> take time off for guide dog training.
>>
>> Thanks so much!
>>
>> Tonia
>>
>>
>>
>>
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