Braces-(for backs, knees, etc)

fedupwithups · 09-12-2006, 09:52 PM

We have a situation in our center where a driver had a work related injury a couple years ago, ended up having knee surgery and was released to work with the Doctor recommending wearing a knee brace. The guy has been wearing the brace for over 2 years and suddenly some Jerk from higher up has said that he can't wear shorts like the other drivers if he wears the brace. He has to wear long pants or go without the brace (it only hangs around 100 degrees here all summer). When they were asked if drivers wearing wrist and elbow braces had to wear long sleeves there was a lot of stuttering and stammering but no real answer. No one from management could show in writing where it says braces have to be covered up. What's next??? People that wear glasses will have to get contacts? They don't make drivers cover tatoos but they have to cover braces???? Has anyone else had to deal with any crap like this?

helenofcalifornia · 09-12-2006, 10:03 PM

What a stupid manager!!! People at my center have been wearing knee braces for months and noone has said anything. I started wearing a knee brace after my knee surgery and a supervisor told me the same thing-wear long pants! (I don't even own a pair) I told him I was filing a grievance and that ended it. Throw a little ADA at him. (Americans with Disabilities Act) Guaranteed, this will not go to far. What an idiot!! And they wonder why we have so little respect for some managers. Pencil pusher!!!!

dave_socal · 09-12-2006, 10:57 PM

Please don't jump down my throat for this opinion but I think wearing a brace at work for more then a couple months looks bad. I know, I know its for a medical reason and I wore a small knee brace under my pants for a few weeks a couple of years back. This added piece of medical equipment makes us look like the working wounded. That is what management dislikes. When you look at a driver in a nice clean uniform he/she looks professional add the brace and our aesthetics go out the window. Please dont go off the deep end. You're problebly saying "I don't care how it looks" and I have to agree with you. You need to do what is best for your body and in addition I belive we all need do what it takes to get better(rehab) but two years with it on is a bit excessive. UPS never would allow us to walk around with a weight belt or a back brace over our uniform so elbow and knee braces LOOK out of place when trying to project an image of sharp professional drivers. If my knee didn't improve after a year I would have to reconsider my position at UPS. That being said I hardley ever wear shorts(I know my limitations boney legs) and I belive that UPS standards for their uniform have diminished. I'm not trying to lump this issue with other uniform problems but playing devils advocate(Mgnt) this adds to the decline of image like drivers wearing earings, pearcings, tattoos, porn mustaches ,longer hair or pony tails tucked under thier hats, wrong footwear, oversized uniforms(baggy),Ups hats that aren't UPS uniforms etc etc.
Your braces are safe because no manager wants to deal with that issue when pushed. Please read my post carefully before shooting. This is a discussion fourm right? My opinion is just my opinion.

tieguy · 09-13-2006, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by helenofcalifornia

What a stupid manager!!! People at my center have been wearing knee braces for months and noone has said anything. I started wearing a knee brace after my knee surgery and a supervisor told me the same thing-wear long pants! (I don't even own a pair) I told him I was filing a grievance and that ended it. Throw a little ADA at him. (Americans with Disabilities Act) Guaranteed, this will not go to far. What an idiot!! And they wonder why we have so little respect for some managers. Pencil pusher!!!!

ADA would not be relevant unless the manager refused to let you wear your brace. Allowing the brace with long pants could be deemed a reasonable accomadation under the guidelines of ADA.

Dave is right the company does not want you wearing the brace in public and looking like the walking wounded.

this issue has been argued and grieved in various parts of the country. Does anyone know if a referencable decision has been rendered at a national panel?

upsdude · 09-13-2006, 02:52 AM

Knee braces are allowed here. We have 4 drivers I can think of wearing them now. We also have 5 or 6 drivers wearing a cloth brace to cover tattoos in the warmer months.

speeddemon · 09-13-2006, 03:50 AM

Its only a matter of time before UPS is going to be sued for ridiculous crap like this. And when they do, I hope they get made an example of.

sendagain · 09-13-2006, 06:56 AM

What it does point to, is the fact that there are very limited opportunities to place a person in a position after he has some physical problem. You either sell your soul to the company, move into management, or you stay in the very hard task you were hired for. Not many positions at UPS are cushy.

tieguy · 09-13-2006, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeddemon

Its only a matter of time before UPS is going to be sued for ridiculous crap like this. And when they do, I hope they get made an example of.

Sue for what? Hell why not sue for the right to wear T-shirts with pot leaves , sandels and cutoffs next. The company has the right to set appearance guidelines. You have the right to wear what you want as long as you don't work for UPS.

Reading the posts here it looks like the company is slowly losing ground on this issue. Pushing the issue with a lawsuit would be an expensive exercise in futility and possibly push the issue in the other direction. How about life without the right to wear shorts?

helenofcalifornia · 09-13-2006, 11:41 AM

OK. The work at UPS is hard on our bodies. We all know that. So we get surgery to correct it. Our doctors tell us to wear braces or other apparatus in our recovery. Some of us continue to wear them believing that they still help us either physically or making us feel more comfortable mentally. (I am one of the latter) Because we look "bad" as a driver we shouldn't wear one???? We should find another job? We got used to a certain lifestyle because of the great benefits and pay sacrificing (sp?) our bodies for the company. And it's kinda hard to let go of it and freefall into (for most of us) an unknown job market because we gave up on college for "the job." I think it's pretty nervy of UPS to say no to braces. And our center has Samoans with huge leg tatoos. Can UPS say no to something that is culturally accepted w/in the Samoan culture? Try and I smell backpay. Sorry about the rant but my knee hurts just thinking about this subject.

helenofcalifornia · 09-13-2006, 11:47 AM

Hey Tieguy, I don't know what you meant by that "go back to life w/out shorts" comment. But if we all went back to the mid-90's, we would be about 30-40 stops lighter in each truck. I still don't know if I would give up shorts for that.

wannabeups · 09-13-2006, 12:01 PM

Can you put a band-aid on a skinned up knee?

boodawg · 09-13-2006, 12:21 PM

Tieguy,
Are you for real? You have obviously forgotten how demanding this job is on our bodies. This guy was hurt on UPS's dime. His Dr. is recommending that he wear this brace because he knows how brutal this job. He doesn't want to see this guy go through another operation in a year or two. A brace of any type is simply an aid to make it easier for someone to do the job. How can you compare wearing a brace to that of an offensive t-shirt or open toed shoes. Fedupwithups, tell him to get with his Dr. on this. Loosen up the brown tie(tieguy) and try to act like a human being

any122 · 09-13-2006, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tieguy

Sue for what? Hell why not sue for the right to wear T-shirts with pot leaves , sandels and cutoffs next. The company has the right to set appearance guidelines. You have the right to wear what you want as long as you don't work for UPS.

Reading the posts here it looks like the company is slowly losing ground on this issue. Pushing the issue with a lawsuit would be an expensive exercise in futility and possibly push the issue in the other direction. How about life without the right to wear shorts?

Tieguy you are a total company man thats easy to see.The problem as I see It is the company (UPS)thinks there policeys and guidelines supercede the law.If this person has a doctors order to wear this medical device and the company has taken the proper action as to have the employee see a company doctor he the employee should not have to put up with company harasment or BS from his sup.There fore if he is getting harassed he the employee should hire an attorney.Then he more than likely won't have to worry about wearing anything.

yeldarb · 09-13-2006, 01:32 PM

When I started part time as a loader in the early 90's, we werent allowed to wear pants for safety reasons. Scrapes, cuts etc. They can probably make it a rule if they like.

over9five · 09-13-2006, 06:42 PM

I think it is an ADA issue. The company is discriminating against this injured employee by not allowing him to wear shorts in 100 degree weather.

Geez! At least he's still working! What a bunch of lowlifes he works for.

I'd consider falling down from heat exhaustion and finding a good lawyer.

mittam · 09-13-2006, 06:43 PM

We have a lady in our center back from knee surgery and Dr. wants her to wear the brace for the rest of her career. When she finally came back to work she was told if wearing the brace it needs to be covered. I agree with the others on here we have given our bodies to UPS and this is the thanks we get, told to find another job or to work in extreme heat with long pants on? Professional football players wear braces especially linemen that never had a knee problem, guess what though their careers end in their 30s we have to go to 62 let's see them do that. Point is regardless how it looks UPS management should say nothing if a device like this prolongs a career of the UPS drivers. Sure proper dress should be a desire of both the company and the employee, show a little pride and professionalism, show we are the best company in this business but knock off the power trip most UPS managers are under.

scratch · 09-13-2006, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yeldarb

When I started part time as a loader in the early 90's, we werent allowed to wear pants for safety reasons. Scrapes, cuts etc. They can probably make it a rule if they like.

Gosh yeldarb,
We always have had to wear pants. If we didn't, we would really have to worry about Scrapes, cuts, especially to certain parts of our bodies!

30andout · 09-14-2006, 05:23 AM

Thanks a lot scratch, you beat me to it.

mrbill · 09-14-2006, 06:01 AM

We had a driver who came back from knee surgery with a brace on, the problem was it was blue. He was not allowed to work till he had a black or brown brace.Took 2 weeks and he still got paid for the 2 weeks waiting for black brace

Megansman · 09-14-2006, 06:34 AM

This problem has a simple, elegant solution. Simply take a pair of long pants, cut off the pant leg for the good leg, hem it, and POOF You still have half shorts and the brace is covered. Added bonus -- you can wear any color sock you want on the braced leg. Might even start a whole new fashion trend.

helenofcalifornia · 09-14-2006, 07:08 AM

I would love to see a UPS driver looking like L L Cool J!!!!! UPS would definitely have something to say on that one.

Working4TheBene's · 09-14-2006, 11:49 AM

I could see why UPS mgmt wouldn't want the drivers to be wearing braces like the wounded working is bad PR.... but at the same time, shouldn't they put the injured driver on limited duty (limited duty meaning like working on one of the belts, small, etc...)

09-14-2006, 06:10 PM

This issue has been raised numerous times in our center. Back braces/support belts were a biggie. They wanted us to wear back braces inside our shirts, long pants with knee braces or tattooes and long sleeve shirts with elbow braces or tattooes. The common solution is to do what they say inside the building and get on area and change clothes. If the division mgr. and building mgr's don't see it, then it becomes a non-issue!