HUBBY WAS FIRED FOR NOT DISCLOSING EPILEPSY
14th February 2009
My hubby worked for a chemical plant here in Florida. To make a long story short, he walked through a gas cloud, got into his truck, had a seizure, ultimately doing about $60,000 worth of damage to a building, the truck, etc.
He is presently on worker's compensation for injuries sustained from the accident. We just received a letter from the employer stating that he has been fired because of non disclosure of his epileptic condition.
My husband's seizures were well controlled by medication. He had worked for 2 years in the chemical plant without having any episodes of seizures. It is very unfair for the employer to fire my hubby from his job. Fearing discrimination in his job, my hubby did not disclose he was epileptic.
Was my hubby wrong for not disclosing his condition?
source : www.epilepsy.com
OPEN FOR DISCUSSION
Please weight the pros and cons of the above case.
Do you think the onus was on the hubby to disclose his epileptic condition to the employer when he was offered his job? And if he had disclosed his condition at the time of employment, would he be subjected to a dismissal of his job in the event of a seizure on the job?
Was the hubby extremely irresponsible and inconsiderate to hide his condition which eventually led to the company's great losses as a result of his seizure that occurred behind the wheel? By not disclosing his condition, would that mean the hubby had breached the terms and conditions of employment, giving the employer the legal right to sack him from his job?
Kindly write in your comments. Would also appreciate very much if you can vote in the poll posted on the right side bar of this blog.
Thank you very much for visiting and participating in this discussion.
(A poll of two weeks that ended today, 2nd March 2009, was conducted about whether epileptics ought to be given equal rights of employment versus epileptics' seizures can be a great distraction and disturbance to working colleagues and workflow. Nine readers voted the former.
My personal opinion of the above incident is the hubby should officially file a complain with the Ministry of Human Resource to determine who was at fault and whether he was sacked on fair and valid grounds).
Posts
I think it would be reasonable if the company is sympathetic towards her husband's condition. Knowing that he had been a long time employee for two years, it is rather harsh for him to be fired.
ReplyDeleteThe company should still give him some space and a second chance (probably in a safer working condition where such critical accidents do not easily happen). PWEs can, in fact be better workers than a regular employees!
In my opinion, the hubby should have disclosed his epilepsy at the time of employment. That way the company would have prepared to take the risk if the hubby experience any seizure, that is if the company decided to hire him at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteI think it is stated in the Terms & Condition of Employment that an employee must disclosed all his/her medical condition. If that is the case the hubby is considered to have breached some kind of contract. Hence the company has legal right to take action.
He should have disclosed his medical condition.
ReplyDeleteDisclosing his medical condition and getting fired is two different matter. One is being truthful ourself and the other one is the ability to sympathy with another person which in this case will be the employer towards the employee.
Hi Pink, Jackie and Miss Tan,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your opinion about the hubby being sacked for raking up a whopping damage of $60,000. I agree with all of you that the hubby ought to have disclosed his epileptic condition at the time of employment.
It is very important that one must be truthful and honest to ownself and others. If employer is made aware of his epileptic condition but still accepts him for the job then the employer should be ready to accept everything that comes with the employee.
Appreciate your comments very much.