Employee illness causing safety concern
Here's the scenario...there is an employee who due to a health condition, sometimes passes out with out any warning. The team is very concerned for her safety and well being. Her current position requires her to stand for the bulk of her shift. Her doctor has approved her to work in a position that is sitting. Unfortunately, we do not have a 'sitting' position. We let her take as many breaks as needed but there is still concern that she will pass out and injure herself.
She has been offered FMLA and has STD insurance, but she is refusing to take either due to financial concerns.
What are our options?
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I would caution you in setting a precedent for "taking as many breaks as needed", at a certain point it may be too disruptive to the workflow and then you have opened yourself up to having to endure workflow disruption on any similarly situated cases in the future. The sit down accommodation request should be looked at through the ADA lens, are you sure it's an undue hardship for the company to accommodate her need to sit?
