can an employer force a right-handed cosmetologist to work in a left-handed station?

Question

my boss wants me to work at a left handed cutting station and I know that it is really bad on your body to work left-handed if you are right-handed, and vice versa,so I want to know if it is legal for him to make me work at a left handed station when i am right-handed.

Answer 1

Your employer only needs to make reasonable accomodations to comply with disability law. Hand dominance is not a disability. Your manager seems to not consider your preference/need as important to your productivity (and his/her bottom line). If you can't resolve this with your employer, I would seek other employment and ensure you ask that employer up-front if accomodations will be made. Good luck to you.

This reminds me of all those right-handed desks in school which sucked for us left-handers. No accomodations were made for us, and we just had to suck it up.

Answer 2

I don't know about legal, but I would think that your employer would want you to work at a station where you can do your best work. Talk to him or her. Explain that you can't work that way. I am not a lawyer, but I think that your employer has to make a reasonable effort to accommodate you. Would they want a lefty working with a right handed station? If you are reasonable they should be too. If you were disabled in any way they would have to because of the American's with Disabilities Act.

Answer 3

I dispute the contention that there is such a thing as a left-handed or right-handed station. Your tools may be positioned in a different order than you are used to, but the tools themselves are neither left or right handed. I have seen more variation in stations for 2 right handed cosmetologists then I can see possible based on left or right handedness.

Answer 4

No its not illegal....... its very unproductive and he obviously sucks as a manager....but being an idiot is not illegal.......as with any job...you always have the option to quit