[NAGDU] fleas in the workplace, and other work related things

Sat Sep 2 21:07:46 UTC 2017

The problem arises when others among us do not take their job as pack
leader seriously and become lax with their dogs letting them greet and
be petted. We may not even know them or maybe we do, and them John and
Jo Ellen New Person expects this from everyone and then those of us
who do follow school rules or, best practices are viewed as hostile
and unfriendly even to our dogs. And whyis it always the blind guy or
gal who is being hostile yet sighted blind guy or gal is just being
whom he or she is?

On 8/31/17, Kerri Sprecher via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Cindy, yes, I think you're right; I have thought about it and yes, I'm
> keeping her on leash right beside me now. I just like to give her room to
> walk around the small office a little bit every now and then, and it just so
> happened that at that time, a new person was coming through; so, I have
> resorted back to taking her out every couple of hours, which they are ok
> with.
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Aug 31, 2017, at 2:34 PM, Cindy Ray via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Kerri, I think maybe I would always have her right beside me whether or
>> not
>> there were new people coming through. This might keep that problem from
>> coming up again, though it probably came up because, indeed, the other
>> person was embarrassed. She did know Sadie is a service dog, so that's
>> probably why she saw it as hostile, but my word, how ridiculous that
>> whole
>> thing is. It would make going to work no fun for sure.
>> Cindy Lou Ray
>> cindyray at gmail.com
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kerri Sprecher
>> via NAGDU
>> Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2017 2:26 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Kerri Sprecher <spedangel84 at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] fleas in the workplace, and other work related
>> things
>>
>> Oh yes, allergies have already been brought up, but luckily that coworker
>> only stayed for about 4 months and moved out of town, but I was talked to
>> about this as well, and they were at least aware that the allergy thing
>> was
>> not going to be reason enough to have me change work stations, etc. In
>> fact,
>> they knew that she would have had to be the one to be moved. So at least
>> that was good. But, I am having tons of other problems with HR here at
>> work.
>> One of these is also about Sadie. I was just getting off the phone with a
>> client, and Sadie was nearby and had gotten up to excitedly greet a new
>> coworker that HR had brought to the door. I didn't know that we were
>> having
>> new people introduced that day, or I would have had her right beside me
>> on
>> leash and been aware of it. This was after I'd already put Sadie in the
>> "down" position, so I called her to me so that she would stop acting
>> excitedly and nudging the new coworker, which she resisted coming to me,
>> and
>> my supervisor who was with the HR staff said, oh she's not doing anything
>> wrong, she's just greeting a new person. I said, yes I understand, but
>> since
>> she's a service dog, she's expected to follow obedience commands and to
>> act
>> appropriately, and since she isn't doing that, I let her know that I was
>> unhappy with her behavior.  The only thing I did is to physically go get
>> her
>> and put her in her place and give her a firm, stay, and so a few days
>> later,
>> I was taken into the conference room and told that I was being written up
>> for causing a hostile work environment, and potentially running off a
>> newly
>> hired coworker, because this coworker felt I was hostile, and when I
>> explained myself to the supervisor that day during the ordeal, I was
>> apparently disrespectful to her and embarrassed her, because she did not
>> need to be told that Sadie was a service dog, she already knew that, and
>> I
>> was written up for that too, so 2 writeups about The same incident but
>> from
>> different angles. So, I was told by HR that, if this was ever seen or
>> heard
>> by her or told to her again, that I would be terminated and we would have
>> major issues to deal with. I told both HR and my boss that I would not
>> abandon my responsibility to keep my dog under control as best I can at
>> all
>> times, and that includes giving corrections if necessary, and I'm sorry
>> if
>> they see this as being hostile, but, I was not hostile to either Sadie
>> during the discipline or to the supervisor when explaining why I was
>> having
>> her lie back down. So, since then I have not had anyone say anything
>> about
>> me being hostile, but yeah, I have so many things going on at work right
>> now
>> it's not even funny.
>> Thanks all,
>> Kerri
>>
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On Aug 31, 2017, at 1:57 PM, Star Gazer via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Yes, Rox is correct. Have the vet write letters.
>>> Also document what is going on in case you want to sue for
>>> discrimination.
>>> I'm not kidding or being dramatic, I see a coworker with "allergies"
>>> in your future.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of The
>>> Pawpower Pack via NAGDU
>>> Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2017 1:59 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Cc: The Pawpower Pack <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
>>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] fleas in the workplace
>>>
>>> Oh Kerri,
>>> I have had this same problem before and it's very upsetting.  What I
>>> did was had 2 vets examine my dog, and both wrote letters. Both
>>> letters stated that there was no signs of fleas, flea-eggs, or signs of
>> recent infestations.
>>> Both vets sent letters and kept copies. In the letters they also
>>> pointed out that fleas can be tracked in from anywhere, our office had
>>> rats at the time and also wild cats living on the office lawn. Also
>>> other coworkers had animals.  All of these things were pointed out.
>>> I wish you the very best.
>>>
>>>
>>> Rox and the kitchen Bitches:
>>> Mill'E, Laveau, Soleil
>>> Pawpower4me at gmail.com
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>> On Aug 31, 2017, at 11:46 AM, Kerri Sprecher via NAGDU
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi list,
>>>> I have a huge concern that I need some advice about.
>>>> On Tuesday, I was pulled aside and told by my supervisor and HR, that
>>> Sadie had been seen to have fleas, and that it was immediately
>>> necessary for her to get treated, which I had already done this past
>>> weekend with the normal frontline I always use. I told them I had
>>> already treated her, but that I would use a topical spray (such as
>>> hearts brand), and they also demanded that I treat the whole office
>>> that I work in, because they looked it up in the ADA regulations and
>>> made sure to point out that I am responsible for this. Ok, I already
>>> know this and agree that I would be the one to treat for this problem,
>>> so I promptly had her examined, and it was found that she did not have
>>> fleas at all, but today, I was pulled aside again and asked if I had a
>>> chance to get her treated or dipped yet, and I said that I had done
>>> the topical spray and yes, I had her examined and found that she did
>>> not in fact have a single flea on her body. I asked the HR person if
>>> she or anyone else had actually walked up to Sadie and looked at her
>>> fur and visually seen fleas on her, and instead of saying yes or no,
>>> her immediate answer, which spoke volumes, was, she was seen
>>> scratching, so what else could it be but fleas on her and someone in
>>> your office saw a flea on themselves, and today someone is still
>>> getting flea bites. So, basically, I was straight up lied to Tuesday,
>>> because they told me that she was seen to have fleas. That's exactly
>>> the wording used, seen to have fleas. They are blaming me
>>> unnecessarily and unfairly, when fleas can be tracked in from infested
>>> grass anywhere. How do they know that it couldn't have been on someone
>>> shoes in the grass here at work? I was told that if this continued,
>>> they would address it more severely, that they know I need my service
>>> dog,
>> but that it's causing workplace issues and health issues. But, Sadie
>> clearly
>> does NOT have them and has been properly treated. What do I do?
>>>> Kerri
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> NAGDU mailing list
>>>> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> NAGDU:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/pawpower4me%40gmai
>>>> l.com
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> NAGDU mailing list
>>> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> NAGDU:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/pickrellrebecca%40g
>>> mail.c
>>> om
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> NAGDU mailing list
>>> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> NAGDU:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/spedangel84%40gmail
>>> .com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> NAGDU mailing list
>> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> NAGDU:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cindyray%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> NAGDU mailing list
>> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> NAGDU:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/spedangel84%40gmail.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> NAGDU mailing list
> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> NAGDU:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/singingmywayin%40gmail.com
>

-- 
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young,
compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and
tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will
have been all of these.
George Washington Carver
Email: singingmywayin at gmail.com