[nagdu] What I plan to say to my boss tomorrow...

Sun Jun 14 20:50:04 UTC 2015

Hold on a sec...before we go too far down a legal rabbit hole, remember that Daryl is in Canada, where there isn't an ADA. Laws are different, even from one province to another. So when we're talking about rights and what not, do bear that in mind.

--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194 
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name

> On Jun 14, 2015, at 4:35 PM, Michael Hingson via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Daryl et al,
> 
> Good thoughts Daryl. Here is my best advice to add to what you have written.
> 
> You do not want to appear arrogant nor unreasonable. Having said that it is
> your right under the ADA to be accompanied by a guide dog. I suppose you can
> think of it as a "reasonable accommodation" on the part of your boss and the
> company to permit your guide to be with you, but I would accept no less than
> that concept. The law is clear.
> 
> At the same time you do need to evaluate when and where you might wish to
> leave your pup at your desk. Fear of dogs and allergies do not trump your
> right to have your guide dog with you. If your boss or the head of the
> company thinks that they do then they are, by definition, valuing other
> employees over you. This is a no no under any standard. Jenny has the right
> to be with you and if that is a problem for "Hannah" then she needs to
> determine whether or not she wishes to deal with her fear, but that is not
> and should not be your problem.
> 
> Again, I think you outlined a good strategy. Go in with confidence and a
> willingness to work toward a permanent solution so long as your rights are
> not violated. 
> 
> 
> Best,
> 
> 
> Michael Hingson
> Vice President, NAGDU
> 
> The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
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> (415) 827-4084
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Daryl Marie via
> nagdu
> Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2015 8:01 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Daryl Marie
> Subject: [nagdu] What I plan to say to my boss tomorrow...
> 
> Hi, guys,
> I am a much better writer than spoken word communicator, so figured I would
> put down my thoughts here and you can tell me what you think.  I plan on
> talking with my boss tomorrow, and thought I would write down my thoughts.
> 
> Good morning, Peter (name changed),
> I've spent a lot of this weekend thinking about what you asked of me on
> Friday, about not bringing Jenny to the staff meeting today while the CEO is
> in town.  You flat-out told me it was because of Hannah's (name changed)
> being terrified of Jenny, even from across the room.  I've decided not to
> bring Jenny to this particular meeting (and this meeting only) - not because
> you have requested this of me, but because there is no particular need for
> her to be at the meeting.  She will not be guiding me to the meeting, will
> simply lay there during the talk, and there is no need for the company CEO
> to think less of Hannah's professionalism because she's sitting there
> looking terrified at a sleeping dog across the room from her.
> 
> That having been said, on a personal level, your request has troubled me
> greatly.  In effect, by making it, you have said that I, with my disability,
> am not invited to the meeting.  You would never consider asking someone to
> leave their crutches, glasses or wheelchair behind because someone is
> scared, so why must I be singled out?  I cannot change the fact that I can't
> see and use a dog to navigate the world safely; Hannah can choose, at least
> on some level, to understand that my dog will not hurt her when she is
> sleeping.  We have someone with allergies in this office, and he has never
> once asked me to make concessions for him, so why does fear trump medical
> allergies?
> 
> I don't want to make this a bigger deal than it actually is.  I respect you
> as a supervisor and a manager in this office, and I know that even as you
> requested this of me you felt incredibly uneasy and awkward about doing so.
> At this point, Hannah has requested that I not take Jenny into the washroom
> when I go (a decision I probably would've reached on my own), and I have no
> problem with this, but that is the only concession I plan to make
> consistently.  If I can do anything to assist Hannah with her fear of dogs,
> I would be more than happy to do so.  But simply not bringing Jenny around
> any time Hannah is going to be somewhere is not a workable solution.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Daryl
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