learning disabilities?

Question

theres a bloke where i work who has learning disabilities, and even though hec says he wants to be treated the same as everyone else he is always complaing and if he does'nt want to do something he calls in his social worker.
he even refused to clean up a spillage because the bottle was made of glass and its not in his contract to touch brioken glass,how pathetic. the problem is though that if i speak out then im descriminating are'nt i,
how can i work with a person that revolts me without just snapping one day and saying what i rally think?

Answer 1

It looks like the real problem is that, as you admit, he revolts you.

Maybe you are just looking for things to moan about with him because you hate him already.

If you find such things, I am sure that you will feel happier in yourself knowing that you have reasons to hate him.

Grow up.

Answer 2

I really do simpathise with you. It is never nice when there is someone at work that you dont get on with. Work is a place where you HAVE to go ( and lets face it went through a lengthy process to get there interviews cv's etc) so it is a real pain if it there is added trauma ontop of doing your job.

However we cant choose who we work with. And whilst the person that is annouying you has learning difficulties, they got the job just as you did. And are as fairly entitled to it as you are.

They could not have learning difficulties or at least not have been labelled as such, and you probably still be in the same situation. Being annouyed and at fear of snapping in your work place and being viewed as unproffesional.

My Advice to you is dont focus on the fact that this person has Learning difficulties. The real heart of the problem is that working with this person is making your work life stressful. I would take this issue to HR Confidentially. If you feel you are being treated unfairly then you need to discuss this with someone in confidence.

Before doing so, think carefully about what exactly it is that is stressing you so much? Is this person noisy and distracting you? If his actions, or lack of are pushing you to go above and beyond
your usual call of duty then note it down. If not, maybe it is just you adjusting to an unfamliar person in the office with other ways of doing things. If you have been working there a while it is always difficult adjusting to a change.

Possibly work could help by managing the situation better. A person with learning difficulties entering the work place does need a lot of support and they also need understnading from the company. The disability discrimination law that came into effect 2 years ago makes it harder for employees to say no to people with disabilities when recruiting. This is a good thing, But it needs to be managed carefully and it will take time before companies are have the level of understanding needed to support people with learning difficulties and just as importantly (IF NOT MORE) the other staff that are working there.

Dont worry, this situation can be resolved. Keep cool, keep factual and remember to focus on the real problems not the disability and then people will listen. Good Luck!!!!

Answer 3

I think he has worse than learning disabilities if he has a social worker. Learning disabilities usually cause problems for students, but when people grow up and work they usually have found ways to compensate.

If this person has developmental disabilities and a social worker chances are there is a rigid contract about what he is allowed to do. I don't think you can let that bother you. What he, as a person, wants and what the people who employ him have set up as rules are two different things.

You need to understand that people with the type of disability he has aren't "coming from the same place" you are when it comes to day-to-day living. (Have you ever overlooked the behavior of a drunk because you knew he was under the influence? This person is "under the influence" of the thinking that comes with some types of mental disabilities. I'm not comparing it with being drunk - just making the point he isn't going to think the way most other people do.)

Mental disabilities can be inconvenient. It means people have to try to understand that a person struggles with a lot of things in day-to-day living that most people don't have to. Since you have been fortunate enough not to have been "dealt" the kind of disability this other person has I think you should be pretty darned grateful that your employment doesn't involve a special type of contract and a social worker even if it does mean people think you are capable of picking up glass safely enough.

If this person is creating problems with you doing your job it wouldn't be discriminating for you to discuss in private what the problem is with your supervisor. If it just bugs you that he doesn't have to pick up broken glass or that he calls a social worker then that's your problem and not a workplace problem. You just have to learn to overlook it and stop comparing his work performance to your own.

It sounds to me like you're young, yourself, and you're still thinking like a kid when it comes to wanting everything to be fair, no matter who has what needs. When you are grown up you come to realize that some people need a break, a little understanding, or a little overlooking. I think you need to stop paying attention to what this person does or doesn't do - that's between your employer and him. Just do you job the best you can.

You may want to do a little reading up (online - you don't have to buy books) on the struggles that people like that guy have from the time they're babies and on to adulthood. They need to deal with all kinds of lack of understanding and all kinds of other attitudes that people have. For example: This guy got dealt the lousy hand of having disabilities serious enough to involve a social worker and now (he may not know this) you are resenting him for not being up to par. Essentially, you're resenting him for the lousy hand he was dealt in life. Mulitply your resentment of him by the thousands of people he will run into in his life and imagine going through life that way.

Social/work situations are relative. Just think of this: If you worked in a high-level, corporate environment where people were mature and well educated, your inability to overlook what goes on with this disabled person would be seen as revolting; and you would be seen as someone who is either very immature or who lacks a certain level of thinking.

You can't help how you feel, so you may want to look for a job where such people are not given employment. Or - you can just be glad you don't have any disabilities and overlook the fact that he apparently gets "special treatment". If letting him work there gets to be too much of a problem for your employer chances are he'll talk with the person's social worker, and the guy will be placed in different employment somewhere.

Answer 4

Sticky situation, Unless this guy is stopping you or anyone else from doing there job there is nothing you can do, but if he is go to your boss and let them know whats going on. Be careful how your words are said. The last thing you want is your boss thinking you are trying to get this bloke the sack for having learning disabilities.

Answer 5

Threr's obviously a clash of personalities. If it's in his contract that he can't handle glass then so what? You should maybe try talking to him properly and not sit in judgement of the person he is,that and also speak to his social worker about who and what this man is,how the best way is to be with him.

Answer 6

Perhaps because of his learning disability, not touching broken glass is in his contract? A lot of people with learning disability have no fear or comprehension of danger, so he may well have extra "rules" in his contract that do not allow him to put himself or others in danger.


I dont like your attitude either!

Answer 7

Learning disabilities possibly require alternate means of learning or testing.
This has nothing to do with picking up broken bits of glass. It is not easy to work with people like that. Talk to your boss and the boss of this one and see what can be done.

Answer 8

You have my sympathy. For many years I worked as a social worker with adults with learning difficulties, and there is a culture of denial, based on a mis-interpretation of Wolfenburger's 'principles of normalisation'; many workers adopted the notion that mental deficiency was simply a social model with no medical or physical basis, and that if you treated someone as if they had no special needs, they would become 'normal'. The government of course embraced this philosophy because ultimately it involved spending less on care!
This has led to many people being inappropriately placed in the community. (In the refectory of the college where I work, there is a man with modera\te learning difficulties employed in the refectory - he sometimes gets very aggressive with customers, and displays behaviour that would not be tolerated in others. This is hardly 'normalisation!)
You have rights. If you are being exposed to unsocial behaviour you have the right to complain and demand action, but ensure that you have evidence to back your claims. Keep and incident log, otherwise you could just be accused of being prejudiced. Let his social worker know what's going on - it's their job to ensure that he is genuinely fitting in.

Answer 9

This is the crazy society that is forced upon us. Not only do working people have to financially subsidise these wasteful eaters but our lives are blighted by having to keep their company.
Political change is the only solution to ensure that those who cannot pull their weight do not burden the rest of society.

Meanwhile, do it by the book and lodge a formal complaint rather than waiting until you snap and end up getting yourself dismissed.

I became self employed 14 years ago to avoid these frustrating situations created by PC laws.

Answer 10

Sounds like you are the one with the problem!

No person should 'revolt' another...

Maybe you should put it on your list of new year's resolutions to be more patient and understanding and less derogatory!