Messed up situation at work. Need some thoughts.

Reba said:
True. These days electronics equipment could include anything on a person. My son-in-law has an electronic computerized prosthetic leg--even that could be included! :lol:
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Not really, nope. Common sense still applies.
HA and/or CI is definitely not "electronics" in the general meaning of the word on the street which is shortened version of "handheld electronics",
certainly not what the guy had in mind, I am sure.
Definitely an electronic computerized prosthetic leg is not considered the same "electronic" as a cell phone, surely not something to be taken out and put on the table.

By your logic, any person with an artificial electronic part i.e pacemaker should rip it out of their body and put it on the table if so demanded - and that's just unacceptable, not to mention plain silly.

Fuzzy
 
d-geek said:
I know every one grew up differently. I started out my life in the hearing world and have had to transition into a deaf world. To me my HA's are electronic devices that I can comfortably live without, others might not be comfortable with me not wearing them. I look at my HA's and any other items I use to make them work better as adaptive devices.


The owner, company president, and HR did a conformance call me this morning. The owner flew in from NY this morning. We meet at a local hotel.

They played the video from the town hall meeting. You could clearly hear over the PA system that I told the guy I was deaf. I found out he had been working there about 80 days, was not his first issue, and has been fired. With him working there for the last 2 months he has seen me pull out my phone the last 2 town hall meetings.

They are not faulting me for what happened, but do think I could of handled it differently.

All of there HOH staff (57) called in sick today and most of them have called in for Friday. They told me a bunch of there work stations have huge bottle necks and everything has can to a stop. The want me to go in Friday and walk around to be seen. There hope everything will be back to normal on Monday.

They also feel that there “HOH sensitivity training / communicating with the HOH” training is out dated and want me to sit down with them on Friday to help update it.



Are you telling me that any time I use an adaptive device I need to stop and explain it to everyone.
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The guy is fired? I think it's a good thing judging from his record and current behaviour. however,
you probably will have to deal with someone new, and the whole story may go again.
so at this point I would concentrate on figuring out how to best approach the issue of your phone use and how to introduce your self to new people.
I think unfortunately yes, since it looks like you have prominent position at your workplace,
and your HoH co-workers put their whole faith in you to help them improve communication with other co-workers - you do have responsibility how to introduce yourself to people.
yes I think it would be wise to learn best assess when and how and compose easy greeting text like "HI, I am D-geek, I am .... worker, I am deaf/HoH, I need to let you know I use these devices (show these) and sometimes I need to adjust volume via my cell phone, so when you find me fiddling with my phone I am not playing with my phone I am correcting my HA or CI, okay? " - just an example.

Now, do you have to explain this every time to everyone?
hmm I think it would be ideal, yes, if possible, yes to make one good announcement explaining how your device work.
if that is not possible, then consider when to skip explaining, when it has to be done.
I'd think certainly when you are going to have a conversation you should forewarn your company you are "going to use your cell to control your devices at some point, sorry".
certainly if your are going to do a presentation it would be wise and polite briefly explain to the public why you may be seen to use your cell or whatever, thank you for your understanding etc.


I wonder what suggestion your company owner and president have re: your handling the situation? what opinions did they give you, if any, if you don't mind sharing it with us?

I do not think walk out was and is a good idea.
as much as it is wonderful to show you such support, I do think this was a simple case of two strong heads butting -
one mute - one screaming heII :)
so what's the walk out about, unless I am missing something.

Fuzzy
 
Audiofuzzy, non of this was his fault or his resposibility. He doesn't need to explain himself to anyone but his boss. The guy obviously wanted a scene or he would have quietly talked to him about it later in private and I'm sure D-geek would have been happy to explain. He seems very reasonable.

Did D-geek have to make his point the way he did? No, he could have just ignored the guy but bullies are bullies and I'm sure he would keep doing the same things until someone else stopped him. I don't take crap from jerks and don't expect anyone else to either.
 
I do not feel that anyone should have to explain to the common person how there adaptive devices work. It's a flat out kick in the balls to the HOH and the disabled communities. If you think anyone should have to than it's time for everyone to have to wear this information in large print on the shirts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronics said:
Electronics deals with electrical circuits that involve active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive electrical components and interconnection technologies. Commonly, electronic devices contain circuitry consisting primarily or exclusively of active semiconductors supplemented with passive elements; such a circuit is described as an electronic circuit.
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Once my phone gets blue toothed to my CI to me they are the same electronic device as they are both useless with out each other or having to change settings to get them to work “normally”. If he's pissed that I played with my phone how do you think he would of taken it if I started playing with my ear through my hair and I was not able to respond to him till I got the program, sensitivity, and vovlume adjusted?

Audiofuzzy said:
I wonder what suggestion your company owner and president have re: your handling the situation? what opinions did they give you, if any, if you don't mind sharing it with us?
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No thy did not tell me how I should have handled the situation. They did thank me for keeping a cool head on my shoulders. HR told me they were very impressed with the ASL as she has not seen anyone talk that long.

The current policy at work if you think someone is not following the electronics in the work place policy is to take them to there team leader or any manager. More than half of the office staff and all of there manufacturing floor employees are allowed to listen to music as long as it dose not disturb others (ear buds, head phones, blue-tooth, and I know one person that uses FM system). They even allowed to text massage when working.
 
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I agree d-geek. I never hesitate to reach up to my HA to adjust the volume or change the program. The HA is part of me. Same with my FM receiver and other devices. I suspect people think I'm listening to a radio in church, especially since my receiver is also a radio :o . Do I care, no, because it enables me to hear better.
 
I don't agree that one should have to explain every single time about whatever devices/electronics we have (Including FM systems). I know I've explained maybe once or twice what that 'thing' in the middle of the table or if they ASK but I have never had an issue with it when I take it to meetings (in fact sometimes in smaller meetings they used to wait a bit until I was set up and ready lol).

Makes me wonder if the presenter was a hearing person and took out his phone to 'play with' the other guy still would have tantrummed or not... (guessing most likely).
 
Audiofuzzy said:
The guy is fired? I think it's a good thing judging from his record and current behaviour. however,
you probably will have to deal with someone new, and the whole story may go again.
so at this point I would concentrate on figuring out how to best approach the issue of your phone use and how to introduce your self to new people.
I think unfortunately yes, since it looks like you have prominent position at your workplace,
and your HoH co-workers put their whole faith in you to help them improve communication with other co-workers - you do have responsibility how to introduce yourself to people.
yes I think it would be wise to learn best assess when and how and compose easy greeting text like "HI, I am D-geek, I am .... worker, I am deaf/HoH, I need to let you know I use these devices (show these) and sometimes I need to adjust volume via my cell phone, so when you find me fiddling with my phone I am not playing with my phone I am correcting my HA or CI, okay? " - just an example.

Now, do you have to explain this every time to everyone?
hmm I think it would be ideal, yes, if possible, yes to make one good announcement explaining how your device work.
if that is not possible, then consider when to skip explaining, when it has to be done.
I'd think certainly when you are going to have a conversation you should forewarn your company you are "going to use your cell to control your devices at some point, sorry".
certainly if your are going to do a presentation it would be wise and polite briefly explain to the public why you may be seen to use your cell or whatever, thank you for your understanding etc.


I wonder what suggestion your company owner and president have re: your handling the situation? what opinions did they give you, if any, if you don't mind sharing it with us?

I do not think walk out was and is a good idea.
as much as it is wonderful to show you such support, I do think this was a simple case of two strong heads butting -
one mute - one screaming heII :)
so what's the walk out about, unless I am missing something.

Fuzzy
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Do you wear a HA ? If yes when you have to turn the volume up do you tell each person what you're doing ??? I had to turn my HA up all the time
when I was health aide and I did not tell my clients this. One reason was I did not want people to start yelling at me when they realize I was HOH. Maybe you're jealous that are not as assertive a d-geek .
 
I don't mess with my CI much; I set it up and go. The only time I mess with it is when I switch over to blue-tooth. I find it to be a huge pain in my butt to change the volume on my CI all the time as once I start playing with it I keep playing with it. If I'm blue-toothed I just change the volume on the sending item.

If someone asks me I will take them through all the cool stuff I can do with my CI and how my HA works. If it's someone I trust I will show them part of my house and how I have my security alarm, door bell, alarm clock, fire alarm, and my cell phone to where it will flash lights throughout the house and shake my bed at different patterns for each item.

I spent 3 hours Friday walking around at work. I had a lot of people asking questions. We spent about 2 hours with the owner rewriting some polices and updater there “HOH sensitivity training / communicating with the HOH” training. It still needs to go out to the lawyer for review.


I ended up going out to a local bar Friday with a bunch of HOH friends from work. My GF knows I was going, she was invited to go, was gone from the house for under 2 hours (I was back about 45 minutes early), I didn't drink, but now she's pissed because I smell of perfume.
My GF has been pissed from the time I told her I had an issue at work.
Don't take this wrong, but some times I just cannot stand hearing people.
 
d-geek said:
I don't mess with my CI much; I set it up and go. The only time I mess with it is when I switch over to blue-tooth. I find it to be a huge pain in my butt to change the volume on my CI all the time as once I start playing with it I keep playing with it. If I'm blue-toothed I just change the volume on the sending item.

If someone asks me I will take them through all the cool stuff I can do with my CI and how my HA works. If it's someone I trust I will show them part of my house and how I have my security alarm, door bell, alarm clock, fire alarm, and my cell phone to where it will flash lights throughout the house and shake my bed at different patterns for each item.

I spent 3 hours Friday walking around at work. I had a lot of people asking questions. We spent about 2 hours with the owner rewriting some polices and updater there “HOH sensitivity training / communicating with the HOH” training. It still needs to go out to the lawyer for review.


I ended up going out to a local bar Friday with a bunch of HOH friends from work. My GF knows I was going, she was invited to go, was gone from the house for under 2 hours (I was back about 45 minutes early), I didn't drink, but now she's pissed because I smell of perfume.
My GF has been pissed from the time I told her I had an issue at work.
Don't take this wrong, but some times I just cannot stand hearing people.
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Can you be more clear about why your gf was upset about the situation at work, when most everyone thought you handled it well? Maybe it's none of our business, that's ok too.
 
d-geek said:
I don't mess with my CI much; I set it up and go. The only time I mess with it is when I switch over to blue-tooth. I find it to be a huge pain in my butt to change the volume on my CI all the time as once I start playing with it I keep playing with it. If I'm blue-toothed I just change the volume on the sending item.

If someone asks me I will take them through all the cool stuff I can do with my CI and how my HA works. If it's someone I trust I will show them part of my house and how I have my security alarm, door bell, alarm clock, fire alarm, and my cell phone to where it will flash lights throughout the house and shake my bed at different patterns for each item.

I spent 3 hours Friday walking around at work. I had a lot of people asking questions. We spent about 2 hours with the owner rewriting some polices and updater there “HOH sensitivity training / communicating with the HOH” training. It still needs to go out to the lawyer for review.


I ended up going out to a local bar Friday with a bunch of HOH friends from work. My GF knows I was going, she was invited to go, was gone from the house for under 2 hours (I was back about 45 minutes early), I didn't drink, but now she's pissed because I smell of perfume.
My GF has been pissed from the time I told her I had an issue at work.
Don't take this wrong, but some times I just cannot stand hearing people.
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I have gone out and talked to someone that reeks of perfume and I end smelling it on me too . You were at a bar and there had to a lot women wearing perfume so of course you'll end smelling like it too. .
 
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whatdidyousay! said:
I have gone out and talked to someone that reeks of perfume and I end smelling it on me too . You were at a bar and there had to a lot women wearing perfume so of course you'll end smelling like it too. Your g/f is not too bright.
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Tsk, tsk, you don't even know either party.....
 
whatdidyousay! said:
I have gone out and talked to someone that reeks of perfume and I end smelling it on me too . You were at a bar and there had to a lot women wearing perfume so of course you'll end smelling like it too.

WDYS, don't you really think you should eliminate that last sentence? That is quite offensive to d-geek and his gf. At least think about for a minute. The rest of your message was ok.
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Whatdidyousay! I think you forgot about 30 deaf hugs. LOL what ever...

My GF is hearing.
I think her getting pissed started last week when I spent $35,000 on new stuff for my shop. Like any man would say I needed it for work, but it will take about 2 years to bill them for my new 3D printer and about 9 months for the shop materials.
Sometimes she gets pissed because my cell phone rings and the lights flash in the house because it disturbers her movie.
She looks at everything from the outside as a hearing person. She is never able to put herself in someone else shoes that’s not like her.
All her jobs have been strict office jobs and she thinks I play around in my shop and go to a few meetings to make 3x what she dose.
She always thinks I’m cheating on her because I smell like other women when I hang out with my deaf friends. She never wants to go because she feels out of place.
I'm sure if I asked her she could add more to the list.
 
d-geek said:
Whatdidyousay! I think you forgot about 30 deaf hugs. LOL what ever...

My GF is hearing.
I think her getting pissed started last week when I spent $35,000 on new stuff for my shop. Like any man would say I needed it for work, but it will take about 2 years to bill them for my new 3D printer and about 9 months for the shop materials.
Sometimes she gets pissed because my cell phone rings and the lights flash in the house because it disturbers her movie.
She looks at everything from the outside as a hearing person. She is never able to put herself in someone else shoes that’s not like her.
All her jobs have been strict office jobs and she thinks I play around in my shop and go to a few meetings to make 3x what she dose.
She always thinks I’m cheating on her because I smell like other women when I hang out with my deaf friends. She never wants to go because she feels out of place.
I'm sure if I asked her she could add more to the list.
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Thanks for that explanation, had a feeling there was more involved than the "situation".
 
I think I want to work with d-geek... you sound like someone decent to work with; you guys hiring? (I'm in IT as a QA tester and looking- even out of state lol).

Wow.. I don't know how long you and your gf have been together but she seems to have quite a few issues and not willing to try to understand or at least go with you to the deaf events (Imagine how a deaf person feels when going to an all hearing get-together...). I do get why she was pissed with the bar thing.. that's a normal response from any female (or male if the roles were reversed)- afraid that something else is going on(when there isn't). Being pissed about happened at work- that's a new one. Of course I don't know the whole situation or how d-geek and his gf are together.

Glad to see there was progress made on the sensitivity training... it's nice to see more workplaces doing this... most places I've worked I don't think even had anything like this except my very first job (not in IT) only because there we worked with children/adults with multiple disabilities.
 
I'm sure they are hiring, but I think most of the production staff makes $11 to $14 an hour. It's not to bad for the city we live in. They found that hiring deaf people works better for them as they have a drive to work and can be very hard for them to find good employment at other places.

We have dated for about 3 years. She moved in about 18 months ago. There for a long time we had the best relationship and she was great to be around. Yes we have some issues that will never work out. Next week she is off from work and I’m paying for the movers to move her back into her mothers house. She has the idea that everything is going to work out with us separated, but I’m changing the locks and the alarm passwords.
 
d-geek said:
I'm sure they are hiring, but I think most of the production staff makes $11 to $14 an hour. It's not to bad for the city we live in. They found that hiring deaf people works better for them as they have a drive to work and can be very hard for them to find good employment at other places.

We have dated for about 3 years. She moved in about 18 months ago. There for a long time we had the best relationship and she was great to be around. Yes we have some issues that will never work out. Next week she is off from work and I’m paying for the movers to move her back into her mothers house. She has the idea that everything is going to work out with us separated, but I’m changing the locks and the alarm passwords.
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ah... well at this point I'd be happy with A job... lol :). Time to expand my search as I've heard that DC's IT market seems to be looking up again...

Who knows.. sometimes separation and keeping the relationship works for some people. But sounds like there are other issues not related to living in the same space that may never work out. Either way do what makes you comfortable and happy in the long run.
 
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