RESPECT | TRUST | INCLUSION | DISCOVERY | EXCELLENCE
Work Setting:
Respecting Accommodations
An employee in a central office contacted the Speak Up hotline with a concern regarding a requested accommodation. The employee had requested a different seating arrangement at their onsite work location due to their physical condition. The supervisor had not granted any changes in seating. The employee indicated they felt their supervisor’s treatment of them had changed after they made the seating change request.
Physical Facilities and Workplace Environment
Duke believes in providing everyone with the facilities and surrounding environment that enable our academic, research, healthcare, administration and community engagement activities. We ensure classrooms, offices, laboratories, residence halls, patient care areas, and common spaces are physically safe, welcoming to all, appropriately accessible. In addition, retaliation for reporting concerns in good faith is strictly prohibited.
Fact finding and intervention:
The appropriate Duke office contacted HR regarding the change in interaction between the supervisor and the employee. OARC met with the employee to make sure they knew of the relevant resources available including the Disability Management System (DMS). Employees can submit a request for accommodation through this system and it will then be reviewed through DMS.
Resolution and action plan:
- HR reviewed the interactions and spoke with the employee and the supervisor
- The supervisor was encouraged to offer some alternate seating choices that already existed in the space and to work with DMS if there was a required or recommended accommodation
*This vignette is loosely based on real cases received through Duke’s Speak Up program and/or other investigatory offices. Creative license was taken to protect the identities of those involved.*