Time Off for Meeting with Probationary Officer

sawyert

What is everyone's take on making an accommodation for an employee who was arrested for DWI and must meet with his probationary officer on a weekly basis during work hours? I understand alcoholism may be considered a disability under ADA, and we may need to make accomodations for the employee to go for treatments, however, the time the employee is missing is due to seeing a probationary officer which is in lieu of him going to jail. Would you accomodate this (ie. rearrange work schedules) and if not would you discipline the employee for attendance issues?

Toni

Gillian3

Alcoholism may be a covered disability AFTER rehabilitation. I think accomodation in your case is nothing more than doing a favor for the employee if you can do that within your business needs.

pork1

SAWYERT: What does your policy say? Ours reads that probationary officer visits and AA meetings of any kind are at the expense of the employee and the ee is expected to be at work sufficiently to retain his/her full time regular paid employee credentials (minimum 32 hours). There must be some commitment by the ee and achieving those goals is the cost of being involved with such an activity. The company will support but that does not include reward for poor previous behaviors. Upon completion, the company is then ready to reward for good behaviors. We have one that has risen back up to Being a Breeding Barn Manager and making $26,000. He came from a "Pot smoking", "joy stick", Breeding Assistant making $7.00 per hour.

Good luck and don't get frustrated some do pull out of the nowe dives.

PORK

System

I would make little to no accommodations. By this, I mean I would encourage him to make the appointment at lunch time or immediately after work. I might even ask for the probation officer's name and number then call and confirm whether or not HE can make the accommodation for our employee. If your employee accrues paid time off, I would allow him to use that if he provides his schedule ahead of time. We had an incidence once where an employee posted that we only accommodate 'jail birds.' That's the perception you may get from others.

ritamcguire

I have dealt with this several times in the past. I fully agree with S Moll that you should get the probation officer's number and make sure your employee is giving you the right info.

1. Most probation officers get paid for seeing their clients. If the client returns to jail, the probation officer doesn't make any money. No work; no pay!

2. Since being employed is usually part of the probation criteria, most probation officers will be somewhat flexible in setting hours that will enable their clients to keep a job. The probation officers I've worked with usually set up night time hours once or twice a week for their clients that work during the day.

3. A few years back (when it was hard to find good workers)I had and still have a working relationship with several local probation officers in which they call me if they have what they consider a good troop that just needs a break, i.e., a job, to straighten himself or herself out. These individuals are usually highly motivated, i.e., they don't want to go back to prison. Due to our work environment, I tell the probation officer I don't want child molesters or violent criminals. The probation officers play stright with me on this because they know if they send me a bad apple, the deal is over, which then means the probation officer doesn't get his/her money. Of course the individual's crime would determine what kind of job they might get. Someone that went to jail for cooking the books would not be placed in our accounting department, but might be fully capable of running a press.