Work Dilemma

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Bit of a dilemma at work…more of a moral one in a way.

We just had to appoint a WHS rep as per company policy, I got picked because of my previous WHS rep training…No worries there at all. Easy job and it looks good on a resume. Sweet as.

This is where the dilemma comes in…my first action item is to investigate disabled parking for our building. Now, our building is just a small house sized office…front door has a carport for 2 cars, and parking out the back for 3 cars. The rear access has steps, the front you can park across the street (not very busy) and walk across, or park kerbside and walk straight in. Disabled access is easy at the front, obviously for the rear it’s not.
Here’s my dilemma, the disabled person….their disability is they are obese…and I don’t mean a bit overweight, I’m talking on the morbid side of the scale.
They claim it’s dangerous for them to walk up the stairs in the back and dangerous for them to cross the road. I suggested that they park kerbside which is acceptable, but no….’I want one of the parks in front of the door’….This is the managers parks of course.

Keep in mind this person has a disabled permit and everything.

My dilemma is…I don’t want a part in it, I bust my ring out 4 times a week at the gym, eat healthy and have a very active lifestyle. They made their lifestyle choice, and now claim disability for it. Which I think is an absolute crock.

I’ve been doing civil design previously for 5 years and know various codes inside out and can pretty much quote the code relating to disabled parking, requirements, etc…

I don’t really care if this sounds like discrimination or anything like that. To me, obesity is not a disability, it’s a choice. My 8 year niece with down syndrome has a disability thank you very much, not someone who’s smoko consists of a cappuccino with lashings of whipped cream and a packet of tim tams…

I’m considering relinquishing my role as safety rep because I simply don’t agree with it at all. I’m all for safety in the workplace, but this just takes the cake…most likely literally too.