Employers, how would you handle an employee who has just been diagnosed with a serious illness/disease? (profit, employer)

[Z3N1TH 0N3]

Would you find a reason to fire them? They aren't your problem after all; you are here to make money!

Would you work with them and their schedule until they are better? They are human beings and they deserve dignity.

[MSchemist80]

Most employers I know would toss them on the streets and replace them.

[FreeSpirited1]

that you can't fire someone due to a disability/medical condition, unless after attempting to accommodate them, they cannot contribute.

However, like most consumer laws, it rarely has teeth.

Personally, I would rather have integrity than profit from wrongdoing, but I guess that is why I am not a CEO

[lovetheduns]

Originally Posted by Z3N1TH 0N3

Would you find a reason to fire them? They aren't your problem after all; you are here to make money!

Would you work with them and their schedule until they are better? They are human beings and they deserve dignity.

What size company are you talking about?

Every company over 50 people that I have worked for have had leave plans complete with short term and long term disability.

[Z3N1TH 0N3]

Originally Posted by lovetheduns

What size company are you talking about?

Every company over 50 people that I have worked for have had leave plans complete with short term and long term disability.

Let's say 50+ employees.

[lovetheduns]

Originally Posted by Z3N1TH 0N3

Let's say 50+ employees.

Then-- as I stated earlier-- most companies would have leave options not to mention the required FMLA time for companies of that size.

Smaller companies may be flexible and helpful but at the end of the day can have a greater burden or hardship for an employee who has conditions you mentioned above.

[joe from dayton]

If needed, they would go on FMLA and then long term disability leave.

[sware2cod]

Would not fire them. Would work with them and their schedule and be very flexible. Would make sure laws were properly followed. In some cases, the MD does not want them working at all for X amoubt of time. MD specifies the needs of the patient (cannot sit, needs handicap parking, works only X hours, etc) Have to allow MD to give guidance on these things.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by Z3N1TH 0N3

Would you find a reason to fire them? They aren't your problem after all; you are here to make money!

Would you work with them and their schedule until they are better? They are human beings and they deserve dignity.

If they can't do their job, I would try to find them a job they could do with their limitations and reasonable accommodation. However, if they can't do *anything*, you can't keep someone on the payroll that isn't contributing.

Besides, if someone is so sick they can't do anything, most likely they aren't going to be interested in coming to work every day.

20yrsinBranson

[andywire]

I know what I would do, but it wouldn't help the balance sheet. I'm no employer though. I would say, one of the benefits of working for small family owned companies... They tend to have a heart and compassion. The current company I work for had a guy just pass. He was on disability for 2 years battling cancer. The company stuck it through and helped him the best they could. I don't know how a similar situation would have played out in much larger corporations.