Welp MagazineEvery company wants to hire the best people for the job. Talent comes in many forms and it can even be a disabled person who is the best person for the job. However, there is still a stigma around being disabled and they are often discriminated against. It shouldn’t matter what disabilities a person has as long as they can perform their duties.
There are many laws on the books that are there to protect disabled people from discrimination. However, many of these laws get ignored and disabled people face a greater challenge to be able to work in peace and be able to live their best life. In this article, we will go over what it often looks like when somebody is being discriminated against for being disabled.
1 – Not providing reasonable accommodations
Although disabled people can work well and perform their duties without issue, they sometimes need to be set up for success in ways that able-bodied people don’t need. For instance, they sometimes need some special accommodations to help them get the job done. Very often these accommodations are reasonable and don’t create a burden for the employer.
Unfortunately, some employers see this as an opportunity to make life difficult for the victim so that they quit. They will deny reasonable accommodations for disabilities hoping that the disabled person will decide to quit so they don’t have to face any scrutiny if they are fired. Since being disabled is a protected class, it is difficult to fire somebody that has a disability.
A disabled person has the right to work with dignity and asking for some accommodations to do so is something that shouldn’t be a problem. For instance, it could be as simple as asking for a desk to be near a restroom or where there is space for a wheelchair. Even a special schedule is reasonable to ask for if you have challenges with transportation to get to work.
2 – Passed over for promotions
Another way to get a person to quit a job so the boss doesn’t face any fallout from firing somebody is to keep passing them over for promotions. When you do your job well, make the company money, and have good performance reviews then you expect to be rewarded at some point.
When the promotions and raises go to others that are less qualified then this is a sign that you are being held back because of your disability.
3 – Wrongful termination
Usually, there is a culmination of various other types of discrimination that end up as a termination. However, as a member of a protected class, there needs to be a justification for being fired so the employer has to have a valid reason that they are able to demonstrate.
You simply can’t be fired for having a disability and an employer that does this is setting themself up for a legal battle they are likely to lose. What will likely happen is that an excuse is found to fire you for some other reason that can help them cover their tracks.
