SOMETHING TO TELL MEMBERS ABOUT ALLERGIES

While they are not the most burdensome medical disabilities, seasonal allergies can slow an employee down, even fog their thinking, and tire them out quickly. That entitles employees to the protection of the ADA and Rehabilitation Act and particularly to reasonable accommodations. The folks at the law firm Ogletree Deakins just posted some advice for its employer clients on their responsibilities under the Act entitled, “Allergy Season Is Here: Accommodating Seasonal Allergies Under the ADA.”  It is just as helpful for union reps. Another very helpful site is run by the Job Accommodation Network. They provide advice about what kind of accommodations should be considered. And don’t forget about the FMLA if the employee has a dependent that needs care to get through the allergy season, perhaps a child that can’t attend school for a day or two. In case you do not remember us saying this before, we will repeat it.  One of the most valuable things a union has to offer is information useful to members.  Everyone can use that and providing a steady stream of it to your members is a ready answer to the perennial question of, “What has the union done for me lately?”  The American education system has done a great job of teaching school kids about foreign wars, high literature, and a few math tricks they may never use again.  However, it has been an absolute failure at teaching our country’s future workforce about the rights they have once they begin their likely 50-year journey as employees.  Unions can make up for that.