Would it be classed as discrimination if my company bought obese individuals special office chairs?
Saturday, January 15th, 2011 at
11:34 pm
We have a couple of people who weigh 20 stone plus and management have bought them special chairs to support their weight. Is this discriminating towards them?
No, they aren’t discriminating against them. They are in fact, covering themselves from future problems, such as, paying worker’s comp from one of the individuals breaking or falling off the chair, or even large insurance claims from pain and suffering from these obese individuals having to sit on chair that aren’t comparable to their weight.
No – it is a reasonable accomodation for their physical condition.
No, they are covering themselves. Imagine if one of these people sat on a ‘regular’ chair and broke it..then the company would be open to liability for not providing a safe chair.
This is no more discrimination than providing a handicap accessible bathroom.
It is not as though those people having a ‘special’ chair is denying other employees of any opportunity.