So I get a Sidekick message from an upset husband who is threatening to quit the job…again. Apparently his boss is ignoring him and being a jerk. Since I am not there to see what is actually happening and have never met the boss, I can only guess. The new man that was recently hired was put on the task of installing the lights in the letter cans. This was the task Bossman was trying to teach Steve how to do, but there were misunderstandings. Steve said they laughed about it, but maybe Bossman did not think it was so funny. So Steve is back to assembling the letter cans. Bossman could be frustrated because he cannot talk to Steve like he can with other employees. He could be too busy to take the time to write notes. It’s obvious he does not know how to communicate with a deaf person who cannot read lips very well. Or maybe he is just a jerk, I don’t know.
At any rate, I told Steve to talk to someone about it who might be able to help, or quit. Griping to me won’t do anything except cause me to write another entry in this blog.
Update: There is a discussion on the deaf forum that closely relates to what Steve seems to be experiencing at his job. http://www.alldeaf.com/showthread.php?t=31248
I especially like the following post:
http://www.alldeaf.com/showpost.php?p=587214&postcount=20
“Hearing people have no right to set up deaf people as unreliable in workplaces, ‘pushing them out’, in form of pressuring, or signalling to them as worthless for ignoring is a form of ’silent harrassment’!!”
I emailed the discussion link to Steve and suggested that he or perhaps his Voc Rehab counselor should have a talk with his boss. My impression so far is that Bossman is frustrated and does not know how to communicate with Steve. He needs to be made aware and taught how to work with a deaf employee. Otherwise he could be in for a law suite since I know Steve is already considering getting legal counsel. He has a very low tolerance level for ignorant employers.
Filed under: Job Hunting and Working
I read the thread from your link. There’s a big difference between having customers ignore you or be rude and having an employer or co-workers act that way. There’s not much we can do to educate customers, but good employers and co-workers will welcome more information on how to communicate effectively. Hopefully this will be the case at the sign shop, and hopefully that help will be availble.
MrsD
I agree with you. Unfortunately it appears Steve’s boss is not a good employer. Steve told me tonight that Voc Rehab talked to Bossman last week about getting some kind of training on how to work with a deaf employee. I didn’t know that was available for an employer. Bossman turned it down for some reason.
It made me wonder why he hired a deaf person in the first place if he doesn’t want to learn how to communicate effectively. But then I remembered he is not the one who hired Steve. The man who hired him left the company a couple of weeks ago. Steve was disappointed because he treated Steve with respect.
Voc Rehab is going to help Steve look for another job. They will work with the D.I. Manufacturing supervisor and other resources, I guess. Hopefully this will mean a better job overall for Steve.
The sign shop is losing a good employee because of the stupidity of the boss. His loss will be someone else’s gain.
The employer needs to have a copy of this:
How to Work with a Deaf Person
I have an article at About.com that might also help: Information on Deafness for Employers
Here is another one on About.com: Making Supervisors and Co-Workers Comfortable with Deafness and Hearing Loss
Thank you for the links and info. Steve decided to quit the job and he sent an email to the VP of the company explaining why. His email was a lot nicer than I wanted it to be, but he has more understanding and tact than I have. Even though he is back to square one as far as looking for a job, I feel a sense of relief, and I think he does also.
I’m very sorry to hear that this job ended so badly. Thanks to you both, Julia and Jamie, for the useful information. I’ve printed the articles for future reference.
MrsD