Special Assignment

UVAbrown

New Member
Are management required to accept special assignments requiring travel and lodging away from home?

In my particular case, I have work restrictions from an off the job injury. After many weeks of disability the company informed me they had residual work meeting my restrictions available at another UPS location. I was told I was being placed on special assignment for this work and was given the impression I had no choice but to accept it.

Making matters worse is, I informed the company I have multiple follow-up doctor and physical therapy appointments weekly in my hometown. I was told I could find doctors in the town where I have been placed on special assignment.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
Are management required to accept special assignments requiring travel and lodging away from home?

In my particular case, I have work restrictions from an off the job injury. After many weeks of disability the company informed me they had residual work meeting my restrictions available at another UPS location. I was told I was being placed on special assignment for this work and was given the impression I had no choice but to accept it.

Making matters worse is, I informed the company I have multiple follow-up doctor and physical therapy appointments weekly in my hometown. I was told I could find doctors in the town where I have been placed on special assignment.

Obviously, your management chain of command thinks you should be coming to work where you are employed.
You have not been doing so.
This is their way of pressuring you.
Life is not fair.
 

pretzel_man

Well-Known Member
Are management required to accept special assignments requiring travel and lodging away from home?

In my particular case, I have work restrictions from an off the job injury. After many weeks of disability the company informed me they had residual work meeting my restrictions available at another UPS location. I was told I was being placed on special assignment for this work and was given the impression I had no choice but to accept it.

Making matters worse is, I informed the company I have multiple follow-up doctor and physical therapy appointments weekly in my hometown. I was told I could find doctors in the town where I have been placed on special assignment.

So, while the vultures here start circling, I'd rather understand a few things.... I think some of the story is unclear to me and the missing pieces are important....

First, in answer to your questions... No, you don't have to take the special assignment, but if you don't, make sure you have a lawyer. I'll explain later.

You have a restriction from you doctor.... What is your current job, and what are the restrictions? I assume the restrictions keep you from doing your job? How long will you be restricted?

If the restrictions do NOT keep you from doing your job then its irrelevant, right? If they do keep you from doing ESSENTIAL portions of your job, then what are the options UPS is presented with?

What are you asking from UPS? To get paid to not work? To not do all of your job? Are those accomodations reasonable?

These are important questions that you must NOT take lightly. I assure you that HR has already thought through this. ADA has rules in this area that HR must follow. They are a VERY conservative group, and yes you are being baited....

Here is my "guess" on the situaion.....

- You presented UPS with work restrictions that keep you from doing ESSENTIAL portions of your job.
- Your management team was asked whether the job can get done if they accomodate your restrictions. I guess they said no.... (ADA spells out what the company must accomodate and what they do not need to accomodate.) The company has to be careful with any precedent....
- ADA then requires HR to look for other available jobs that meet your restrictions. It looks like they did that.
- You are then presented with the option(s) that matches your restriction. Again, ADA requires HR do this.

If you say no.... Well, you give them ammo. You turned down work. Doing Physical Therapy at another location is not a hardship.

This is a MUCH more complex issue than the simple question you raised. If you tell them you refuse the assignment, you should also tell them that you are consulting with a lawyer. That's a big step and you will need to look at this from the company perspective as well.

They know the law and their responsibilities. You need to know the same.
 
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