A "ftted" chair per chiropractor?

jyenny

I have an employee who brought me a note from her chiropractor which says "I believe it is in the best interest of my patient if she had a fitted chair for posture and low back problems." The note contained no criteria for such a chair. Can we offer to split the cost of the chair with the employee or must the company follow "chiropractor" instructions and foot the bill alone?

Parabeagle

If I'm off base here I'm sure someone will tell me but I don't think you are under any obligation to provide such a chair under the limited circumstances you describe. If the person's condition falls under the ADA, the only requirement is that the accommodation be "reasonable" and there are different interpretations of what the courts consider reasonable.

If the need for the chair is due to an industrial injury that may be another matter (and in those circumstances the workers' comp insurer or the state fund should pick up the tab for the $ of the chair). Since the chriopractor provided no specifics, how can you be expected to provide a "fitted" chair? Fitted to what? We recently had an individual who suffered a work comp injury who required a custom chair and the osteopath was quite specific about how the chair needed to be configured (e.g., arm height, lumbar support, seat height, back height/depth, etc.). Since it was an industrial injury, our state (Oregon) will reimburse employers the cost of providing such special workplace modifications.

If you do want to spend the money to try and get a good chair for the employee, suggest you look at most office supply stores (Office Depot, for example). There are many ergonomically-friendly mass-produced chairs that provide controls for the user to adjust the tilt, height, arm height, etc. And they're not all that expensive. Good luck.

Rockie

This sounds like some requests that I got right after Bill Clinton as his last official duty, signed into law all the additional OSHA regulations which included ergonomics in the workplace. This was promptly repealed. I got all kinds of requests for special chairs, etc. out of this piece of news.

If the chair is in poor shape, etc., I'd change this at a reasonable cost to the employer; otherwise, you are not an ergonomics expert, so unless you have some specifics to go on, I'd say your job is done.

deniseE

We do provide "special" chairs to employees that have a note from their doctor(employees are not permitted to bring in their own "equipment)...but the chair is the property of our Agency and will not go with the EE upon separation. We have enough floating around now that we aren't buying very many.

I don't know that we'd honor this particular request though. We'd want a note from a medical doctor with clear specifics regarding the type of chair and justification.

rad

One other thing to consider...an ergomonic chair, or any office chair for that matter, is only good if it is aligned properly to the individual. Who is going to make sure the chair is adjusted for her? We got brand new chairs that move up/down, in/out, every possible way...but without someone to fit it to my body shape and size it did me no good. A 6 foot man and a 5'4" woman (me) can use the same chair but obviously not in the same heights/positions, etc.

Parabeagle

One problem with many companies (especially large ones) is the "cookie cutter" approach to office furnishings. Everyone has the same cubicle height, cubicle color, same chair with the same fabric, etc. Unfortunately, that's not always the best way to proceed. Many chairs (even off- the-rack chairs) are now modular so you can have six of the same chairs with slightly different features (for example a wider seat for those who, uh, you know... - or a deeper seat for those with longer femurs). You have the same uniform appearance, but each employee's chair fits his or her needs.

Shawn

There is a difference between what would be in the employee's "best interest" and what is "medically necessary". It would probably be in the employee's best interest if you paid him/her three times what you are currently paying.

I would make sure it says "medically necessary". Employee's routinely tell the Doc what to write and the Doc goes along with it.......I want a new chair because mine hurts my back, will you write me a note?

Leslie

I agree with Denise and Shawn. "Best interests" and "medically necessary" are two entirely different things. A chiropractor is not licensed to say what is medically necessary - only an MD can do that. I'd do the best for her if the chair is really unfit, but hold out for a doctor's notice before going off the deep end.

mwild31

Each state is different. A chiropractor's analysis in Washington state, especially in a worker comp. situation, carries the same weight as a licensed MD.