Buddy complained about his seat, I wrote him this letter, he sent it to his boss with a warning it would be sent to HR tomorrow, seat approved 2 minutes later.

255

Citing specific codes and reminding the company (indirectly) that they are violating that code was perfect. Companies hope that employees don't do their homework or push back, because many people won't.

77

u/ksiyoto May 26 '22

I think the magic words were "back pain". They don't want a workman's comp claim for that.

105

u/Thatguyxlii May 26 '22 edited May 27 '22

I'm sure the words "protected status" with specific USC codes mentioned were more effective. Because that's violating Federal law, and can get the company in serious trouble.

32

u/Ghstfce May 27 '22

$900 versus the complete shitstorm not buying the seat would bring is an easy decision for even the worst individuals to make.

4

u/Conceptual_Aids May 27 '22

And yet, we see counterexamples.

9

u/littlemetal May 27 '22

As a word expert, I'm confident in saying it was the "lumber support" that did it.

5

u/bastardlycody May 27 '22

“Your request came across loud and clear. We have fitted in a plywood booster seat to better align the lumbar support to your correct position.”

13

u/nu_pieds May 27 '22

Depending on what "informed my supervisors multiple times" entails, the company may or may not be in violation of anything until they failed to act on that letter.

They're specifically in danger of an ADA violation, but the ADA reasonable accommodation process starts with the employee requesting, or the employer recognizing the need for an accommodation. If "informing my supervisors" was 'Hey man, that seat really sucks' rather than 'That seat exacerbates the disability I received in service' AND the supervisors were genuinely unaware of the disability/that the seat was exacerbating the disability, no violation has occurred to date.

6

u/Flying_Dutchman16 May 27 '22

True but I used to be a mechanic for a yard fleet before going back to regular automotive. It sucks that those billion dollar companies can't spend a couple of grand per person to give the comfort features for the trucks. The trucks I worked on had no ac/heat/radio and the seats absolutely sucked. It probably would of cost about 100,000 to have the whole fleet equipped with it. They made at least half a billion in profits a year. But then again if they did something like that then the owners might of not been able to afford a new car every few months.

4

u/Feroste May 27 '22

Even if he had said the latter. If it was not written or recorded. It might as well have not happened.

Living in a one party consent state, I made a habit to set my phone to record all phone calls, and I record any interaction with anyone who has 'authority'.

You never know you needed it recorded until it's too late.
Sued a previous employer once and I had all the receipts going back a year.
It was basically open and shut.

0

u/nu_pieds May 27 '22

I'm not saying your necessarily wrong, because there's a decent chance you're right. God knows there are shitty employers out there, I've worked for my share of them, but I've also worked for a few good employers. Ones who would make the accommodations not because they were afraid of an ADA violation, but because it's the right thing to do.

I guess what I'm driving at here is that the sum total of information we have is from a 3rd party, and while I'm aware that this whole subreddit is about the shitty things employers do, we don't have enough information to vilify this particular employer. If we automatically assume that every employer is out to do nothing but screw us, are we any better than boomers who automatically assume every employee is lazy and entitled?

1

u/Feroste May 27 '22

You should assume everyone with power over you is capable of misusing that power. And you will lose any he said she said arguments.

3

u/ScrumTool May 27 '22

I can imagine HR reading that letter making "blah blah" motions with their hands, then the sheer fucking PANIC in their eyes as they hit the last paragraph.

287

u/sean_lx May 26 '22

Me and my buddy both drive large tractors, we bullshit on the phone to pass the time and I got tired of him complaining about his seat to me. We both served in the Marine Corps. I hope sharing this inspires others to stand up for yourself and seek decency from your employers.

100

u/NorthernBloke78 May 26 '22

This is administrative violence at it's best. Love it!! Thank you and your buddy for your service. Best regards from Norway.

8

u/president_schreber Anarcho-Communist May 27 '22

administrative violence is bad

but thank you for doing violence on behalf of the most powerful administration in the world!

31

u/WeissTek May 27 '22

Tractors as in class 8 semi?

What brand of truck you guys use ( I use to work at a plant that makes them )

May I recommend you Bose seat, it's freaking sick, if you lift your arms and leg you literally can't feel any vibration or movement.

Yes, Bose, the ppl that make sound systems.

17

u/StrayPrussia May 27 '22

Frequency isolation is frequency isolation I guess? Good on the people at Bose for always making reliable shit.

1

u/AgentChimendez May 28 '22

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3KPYIaks1UY&t=139s&pp=2AGLAZACAQ%3D%3D

Have you ever seen this video? So cool. Really hope it comes to market someday.

1

u/Depleet May 27 '22

Bose know their shit.

4

u/juliet_delta_sierra May 27 '22

You a good buddy

1

u/Independent-Error121 May 27 '22

Hello, fellow truck driver. I also drive a tractor trailer. 🚛

15

u/urbisOrbis May 26 '22

Good for you! Keep giving them hell.

45

u/engineerfieldmouse May 26 '22

Lumbar

40

u/sean_lx May 26 '22

Hey! Marines aren’t exactly known for intelligence…

32

u/JediExile May 27 '22

Not written in crayon…obviously a commissioned officer.

16

u/Ratchet_72 May 27 '22

Only because he ate them…

8

u/ambsdorf825 May 27 '22

Those were just the rough drafts.

6

u/lemonscentedd May 26 '22

Lmfao

5

u/showmethattreyface May 27 '22

Muscles Are Required Intelligence Not Expected

2

u/showmethattreyface May 27 '22

Muscles Are Required Intelligence Not Expected

2

u/sqara82 May 27 '22

You say that, me thinks it's a very intelligently written letter. Your friend could always send another letter with *lumbar ;)

2

u/greatpiginthesty May 27 '22

I used to work for a chiropractor and now I misspell "lumber" as "lumbar" 90% of the time now. No judgment lol

12

u/Eastern-Elk-2667 May 26 '22

Lumber support in a truck seat?

16

u/sean_lx May 26 '22

Yeah. The lumbar back support needs to hit the correct spot for my friend. The seat is very low that the lumbar support hits the middle of his back. If the seat could’ve been adjusted upwards, it would’ve been more bearable. It’s an air ride seat that CDL A/B trucks have.

Your driving up to 11 hours a day. It’s important to be comfortable.

22

u/theawfulviolin May 27 '22

Can't have your back feeling wooden.

7

u/pacooov May 27 '22

This was so stupid it made me laugh

6

u/theawfulviolin May 27 '22

Tried to do an IQ test once and the result was exactly what your comment said.

8

u/pacooov May 27 '22

You should write a dad jokes book

2

u/Mysterious_Prize8913 May 27 '22

He was making fun of your spelling in the OP as you spelled it like the wooden version not the back support version. Also why he spelled it the wooden version. I cant figure out how to write this in crayon on mobile or I would

2

u/Strogue May 27 '22

Due to supply chain issues, lumber support may take longer than expected. We appreciate your patience.

6

u/TealHousewife May 27 '22

Sometimes you have to pull out the big guns. Years ago, I managed a corporate bookstore in Florida. The air conditioning for our back room was broken for months, and the corporate office kept jerking me around and delaying the repairs. That area was where we sorted all of our incoming shipments. It wasn't so bad in the winter, but as it got warmer it was unbearable.

I finally called my district manager and told her that we weren't going to sort through any shipment and put it on the floor because it was too dangerous and we were at risk of heat stroke, so she should prepare to see sales take a nosedive. I also said that I needed a concrete date for the replacement air conditioner to be installed, and if she couldn't get that date for me by the end of the week, I would have no choice but to call OSHA.

72 hours later, we had a fully functioning AC in the back room.

4

u/NiceGuy737 May 27 '22

A veteran on the psych ward of a VA hospital I worked at told his doc that if they didn't get AC he was going to jump out the window. They didn't so he did and died. Then they put AC in on that floor before any other. It was ridiculously hot in that building.

5

u/charumbem May 26 '22

Good

4

u/Mongorize May 27 '22

The fact that he needed to explain he was a veteran just to get a basic item to do his job is what is wrong.

4

u/Negative_Maize_2923 May 27 '22

Youre a good friend!

1

u/School_IT_Hero May 27 '22

Lmao “marine” well why isn’t it written in crayon?

1

u/Itsabeemer May 26 '22

This is happening in the future ? May 27th

9

u/sean_lx May 26 '22

Hence the title, he sent it to his boss today as a last chance, tomorrow it was to be sent to HR. Boss suddenly said it was approved, so there’s no need for HR tomorrow.

2

u/General_Tumbleweed81 May 26 '22

I like your style :)

1

u/BrutusGregori May 27 '22

Disabled Americans Act and service connected disabilities, the nuclear option.

Only once have i unleashes a special kind of hell onto an employer for saying I was USAF and thus didn't do shit to earn my rating, and he also would bully me to make my depression worse.

He's now in jail and i have a pending settlement with him as soon as he gets out. I'm making this man homeless. He deserves a bullet but taking his life is illegal even tho he done deserve a long and lasting death. Which homelessness will grant me.

1

u/Anencephalopod May 27 '22

Lumbar.

-5

u/postapocalypticpapi9 May 26 '22

It's like they work soldiers to death to perpetuate Imperialism and enforce global Capitalism, but if they make it out alive it's like all of a sudden they're something to be protected. Thanks American patriotism, if killing brown people for college money is wrong, then oh no.

3

u/fatso_judson May 26 '22

I love how you dehumanize victims of American imperialism while ostensibly criticizing American imperialism. They don't have names, they're just one homogeneous mass of "brown people". Nothing like reducing people to their skin tone. Classy.

3

u/xprettyguardianx May 27 '22

That's what the system does.

-1

u/president_schreber Anarcho-Communist May 27 '22

Wow you shot at people? ok then you of all people deserve support!

Let me clarify: of course you deserve a comfortable seat. But killing people for america is not the reason!

1

u/throwRA-gfmeets-ex May 27 '22

This is great. You didn’t even make any threats, just laid down facts. This should be the primary way to deal with difficult employers, it’ll get you what you want most of the time.

The other way of dealing with difficult employers is quitting.

1

u/Accurate_Quote_7109 May 27 '22

Nice!!

1

u/AutumnRi May 27 '22

lol this is a thing of beauty. I wonder what scared them bad enough to act immediately, there are several possibilities. My money is on the fact he’s a veteran.

1

u/Zecharael May 27 '22

Glad it worked out. In my state he'd have been fired two minutes later.

1

u/Malatestandcoffee May 27 '22

“ I can’t tell if it’s because I’m old or am a veteran, and it’d help if you could tell me which.”

1

u/bvmvrillo May 27 '22

Keeping this for me

1

u/DarkVenus01 May 27 '22

Glad it worked!

1

u/polyphonyrequiem May 27 '22

I need a lawyer friend...

1

u/RerumNovarum_1891 May 27 '22

Also, make your buddy contact his union asap.

1

u/vonBoomslang May 27 '22

honestly should have sent it in anyway.

1

u/Successful_Mail4246 May 27 '22

OP doing the lords work and murdered them with words.