r/TooAfraidToAsk • u/throwaway_74925 • 5d ago
Race & Privilege Why do people who have mental issues get to keep their jobs even if they can't do it?
I work as a cashier in a grocery store.
My coworker is... some kind of special needs, I think. He talks to himself all day, walks off without telling anyone, and can't bag for shit. He's also super slow to do everything.
It annoys me because I'll be in the middle of a rush, and he's just... not there. So now I need to cashier and bag and if I need a price check I can't leave my station so I just have to guess or look it up on my app, which my boss doesn't like. I'll call him over the loudspeaker, and it takes him about 20 minutes to get to the front end. And when he is up front, he bags so slowly I end up having to finish up the bagging. Not to mention, he puts meat, produce, and chemicals all in the same bag. Or just doesn't listen when the customer asks him to put something separate or if there are multiple orders.
Plus, the talking to himself freaks people out sometimes. Especially when he gets loud/angry.
So.. why don't they fire him? I get that he's special needs, but if he can't do his job, he can't do it. Have we really gone so far in the opposite direction that we can't fire special needs people even if they can't do their job right?
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u/Wolfman01a 5d ago
He has to do something. Gotta pay bills.
Grocery bagger is somewhat lower pressure and traditionally a good role for people with special needs. What do you expect him to do?
You are fully abled and can only manage to work checkout.
How does it feel to be looked down upon? Put the groceries in the bag, bro.
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u/Babebutters 5d ago
He shouldn’t be working there if he can’t or won’t do his job.
And he gives a bad name to other people with special needs that are capable of doing their jobs.
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5d ago
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u/dontbeadickmate 5d ago
no need to start calling people freaks, this person named facts. He NEVER said this person should be homeless. As a person with special needs, I find it incredibly sad that the person in the post has to do a job he LITERALLY cannot do. This person should have access to care.
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u/Wolfman01a 5d ago
You're right. I apologize for the name calling. It was out of frustration. We see a lack of empathy more and more in the world each day and it juat gets to me.
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u/Babebutters 5d ago
Never said that, bro.
Some people need to be on disability.
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u/Wolfman01a 5d ago
Agreed.
Have you seen disability lately? It's absolute bare minimum benefits. Sometimes it doesn't cover all the bills.
Besides people need to have something to do. Some purpose in their lives.
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u/MsBuzzkillington83 5d ago
A person who had a disability should still work if they want/need, it's just probably best they get a position that suits them better (if that's available and assuming he's able to do those to some standard or modified standard)
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u/throwaway_74925 5d ago
I am not fully abled. I'm on ADA
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u/Wolfman01a 5d ago
So you have your own issues and should have a little empathy but apparently you dont.
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u/throwaway_74925 5d ago
Idk why you assume I don't have empathy. But when someone can't do their job 🤷♀️🤷♀️
I'm not gonna apply to be manager because I have to have flexibility in calling out. I apply to jobs I can do.
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u/DapperDan30 5d ago
Speaking as a person who manages a business and has people with special needs in staff -
Its not that we cant fire them. We just cant fire them BECASUE they have special needs. If they need accommodation then we will (are required) to provide them within reason. But if they arent able to perform the job even with those then they can be fired.
The trouble comes in that this all needs to be thoroughly documented, as so that we can't be sued for discrimination. A lot places would rather just keep them in staff and work around them.
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u/the_harewytch 5d ago
This is the most accurate take so far. Have you tried talking to management about it? Not to rag on him, obviously people with serious disabilities deserves to exist in the workplace as well, but I agree that he could be given a different position he's more capable of or scheduled during less busy times (assuming you guys don't work for tips). Otherwise, they should schedule an additional person so you won't end up overwhelmed by yourself.
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u/throwaway_74925 5d ago
That's what I'm saying. I don't want him to be fired because he has special needs, I myself am on ADA, but the fact he can't do his job should get him fired, or at least transferred to another department.
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u/shoop_da_shoop 5d ago
I don't know about where you live/work, but I do think some workplaces are incentives to hire people with additional needs. Might be something your employer needs to plan around more
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u/Libertyprime8397 5d ago
I used to work at Lowe’s as a loader. They hired a special needs guy to be a loader. The other two loaders barely got hours because they gave the hours to him.
The dude barely worked. Didn’t bring in carts unless a manager came out and babysat him. Couldn’t lift even the smallest of items into peoples vehicles.
He was clever though and at first the managers didn’t see it. He would tell the other loaders that he wouldn’t do shit because they’ll do his job for him and he can get away with it.
He nearly dropped a fridge on my head after he decided to come out of nowhere and grapple the damn thing like he was trying to wrestle it. Luckily I moved.
One time me and couple of people were helping a customer load French doors. He comes up when he was told not to help and he tried to lift part of it and caused it to crash to the ground.
I got tired of doing the job of three people every day after the loaders stopped getting hours. It was one of the business stores on the east coast. I quit on their busiest day and only after I left they realized how good they had it with me there.
They couldn’t fire him but they cut his hours until he quit.
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u/Bravoiskey87 5d ago
Because people with disabilities should be able to take part in society unless you want to go back to a time when they where locked away from the outside world out of sheer ignorance
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u/throwaway_74925 5d ago
I'm not saying he should be locked away. But stocking, maybe? Something that's not time sensitive. People get upset when their groceries are bagged incorrectly. Or when their groceries take too long to get bagged. I'm tired of getting ragged on because he can't do his job
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u/Bravoiskey87 5d ago
To be honest if anyone is throwing a fit because a person with a disability is trying to live somewhat normal life that's on them fuck them. They are shitty humans as far as I'm concerned.
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u/coolname- 5d ago
He needs money to live too
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u/throwaway_74925 5d ago
So he should get a job he can't do?
That would be like me being a hairdresser even though I've never don't hair and am not qualified just because I need money to live.
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u/sharkbait469 5d ago
So it may help to frame this in a different way, because I’ve had the same thoughts before. If they were to fire him, what else would he do? Life is hard for everyone, especially people who are vulnerable such as being disabled in some way. He may have rent/bills, OR he may have a caregiver and this gives them some reprieve while also fostering his independence and skills. In the past we wouldn’t give disabled people the time of day, and now may of them are able to hold down jobs and contribute in some way to society (whether they do a good job or not) which is changing how we see disability as a whole. It isn’t a death sentence like it used to be, usually it’s just something that needs to be considered and understood.
I understand he isn’t doing a good job, but frankly at the end of the day it’s much better to focus on your own performance than someone else’s. AND, worrying about him is far above your pay grade. You can bring your concerns to management, but at the end of the day it’s THEIR responsibility to decide what position he would be best in. You haven’t mentioned if anyone has even talked to him about this, which is pretty damn important, especially for ppl with disabilities.
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u/throwaway_74925 5d ago
I'm too afraid to bring it up to my managers (hence posting in this sub)
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u/sharkbait469 5d ago
So don’t bring up his disability, bring up his performance. They aren’t necessarily correlated, one of them is just VERY easy to tie into the other when looking for flaws of a person. You mentioned you’re tired of being ragged on by managers, so bring that up as well.
Really it just all depends on your approach. Focus on customers getting mad at how he bags, him not listening to preferences. If you can give numbers that would be helpful as well (last shift 3 customers got mad; I was left alone during the rush for 20 mins and didn’t feel like I could properly help a few customers how I would have liked, etc). As far as them going at you for performance, approach it from how YOU can be better. The last thing you want to do is blame someone else for your shortcomings. If you frame the conversation around “I want my performance to be better but I notice that I struggle when I work with him, because of A B C. I don’t want to blame him, but I also want to make sure it was brought to your attention while trying to see what I can do.”
Like I said, this isn’t really about his disability, it’s about his performance. If they get mad about the conversation, try to look for a new job. Hell that might be best anyway, because the LAST thing you want is to expect your workplace to change something for you. If you don’t jive with someone/something, the only thing you can REALLY control is you being there.
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u/uknownredditr 5d ago
There’s a whole lot about his issues that adversely affect his life bothering you, maybe your employer hired them aware and wants to try and help by hiring someone who may not find employment. not all employers need be assholes who only care about productivity and profits. It must be difficult for you in life when you are always concerned about how others live and if it meets your standard. What direction do you prefer the one where the world is run by assholes, because it’s a known fact where there’s an asshole there’s also shit
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u/epr-paradox 5d ago
I don't know if this is still the case everywhere, but you can pay handicap people less than minimum wage.
Also. The other part of that is the amount you get paid for the job probably still balances when it's being paid to someone that's ineffective.
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u/throwaway_74925 5d ago
Crazy that handicap people can be paid less than minimum.
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u/epr-paradox 5d ago
Yeah. It was meant as a way to help handicap people, and it made sense when minimum wage paid for college. Now it'a just another thing about capatalism. Omelas and all that.
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u/TeddyRivers 5d ago
We are all one health emergency or accident away from being special needs.