Discrimination or Not?
Rockie
2,136 Posts
We have a HUGE parking problem in our medical practice and since the patients help pay our salaries, we feel it is in our best interest to ensure they have places to park.
We have a vacant lot across the street that one of the managers is proposing that the "men" park in. Rationale is that women feel unsafe parking in this lot. I say you cannot mandate that only the men park in this lot vs. the women. I'd suggest that we ask for "volunteers" to park across the street. We have tried getting employees to park on a gravel lot in the back or at least around the back perimeter of our paved parking area. It's disheartening to see a patient in a walker or dragging an oxygen tank behind them struggle from the back of the parking lot because some able bodied employee has taken the parking space near the building.
Oh, another item I'd like your opinion on. We have parking spaces as a "perk" for our 10 and 15 year employees and they are close to the building. Again, because of parking constraints, we'd like to do away with these spaces for employees and open them up to patients. I am sure there will be a backlash against this. How would you guys approach this?
We have a vacant lot across the street that one of the managers is proposing that the "men" park in. Rationale is that women feel unsafe parking in this lot. I say you cannot mandate that only the men park in this lot vs. the women. I'd suggest that we ask for "volunteers" to park across the street. We have tried getting employees to park on a gravel lot in the back or at least around the back perimeter of our paved parking area. It's disheartening to see a patient in a walker or dragging an oxygen tank behind them struggle from the back of the parking lot because some able bodied employee has taken the parking space near the building.
Oh, another item I'd like your opinion on. We have parking spaces as a "perk" for our 10 and 15 year employees and they are close to the building. Again, because of parking constraints, we'd like to do away with these spaces for employees and open them up to patients. I am sure there will be a backlash against this. How would you guys approach this?
Comments
Having said that, I’m wondering: Don’t those patients (or their drivers) using a walker or dragging an oxygen tank have a handicapped license plate or placard? So maybe you don’t have enough spaces designated as handicapped parking.
I would think that anyone using a walker or oxygen could get a placard/sticker. Designate a cetain number of spaces handicapped, a certain number for patients only, and see how it goes.
As for making the men park across the street and not the women, I'd say no. A men is no less susceptible to a mugging. Ask for volunteers. If not, its first come, first serve with the spaces you do have available in your lot. If a woman is frightened (and who can blame her) do you have anyone who can escort her to the car?
Tough call with the parking space perk. I'd hope that employees can understand that it has to be done away with for the good of the patients but we all deal with that entitlement mentality. Good luck.
I would make the customers priority and thought your idea of volunteers was good.
As far as your parking "perk" for long-term ee, I would get rid of it, find another perk for them.
Good luck.
I am still laughing because of the notion several of you seem to have that a placard or hcap tag will get someone a spot in a handicapped space. Not whre I live it won't. This is a long standing pet peeve of mine when I walk through the Wal Mart lot and grocery store parking lots. It's a hobby of mine looking back to see which tags have the little symbol, knowing almost none of them do.
First, I would make sure that there is enough safe parking within a reasonable distance from the building. Make sure it is well lighted (if used at night and that there are no nails or glass around.)
[Then call a meeting of all employees. Talk about the good news that you have a growing client base and how lucky we all are that we can help these patients and they feel that we provide good service. What a great place to work!! This provides a service to clients as well as jobs for us. Secondly talk about due to our growing client base, we have got to provide more reasonable parking for them. In order to do this, we have got to change the way we as employees are allowed to park. (Aren't we lucky that we have free parking. In some places employees have to pay over $20 a month and walk 8 blocks.) This is what I have come up with to solve this situation. We are providing additional parking at xx location. We are going to mark off/designate patient only parking spots. All other are up for grabs on a first come first serve basis. If at any time anyone is leaving the building and would like an escort to their car, please let me or xxx know......... I know it is going to take some getting used to. If anyone else has any suggestions, please let me know and I will consider them. Let them know you appreciate their cooperation with this good news/bad news situation.]
Good Luck
E Wart
>guess that is what it is) about having "perks"
>like designated parking places. I guess it is a
>status thing.
>First, I would make sure that there is enough
>safe parking within a reasonable distance from
>the building. Make sure it is well lighted (if
>used at night and that there are no nails or
>glass around.)
>[Then call a meeting of all employees. Talk
>about the good news that you have a growing
>client base and how lucky we all are that we can
>help these patients and they feel that we
>provide good service. What a great place to
>work!! This provides a service to clients as
>well as jobs for us. Secondly talk about due to
>our growing client base, we have got to provide
>more reasonable parking for them. In order to
>do this, we have got to change the way we as
>employees are allowed to park. (Aren't we lucky
>that we have free parking. In some places
>employees have to pay over $20 a month and walk
>8 blocks.) This is what I have come up with to
>solve this situation. We are providing
>additional parking at xx location. We are going
>to mark off/designate patient only parking
>spots. All other are up for grabs on a first
>come first serve basis. If at any time anyone
>is leaving the building and would like an escort
>to their car, please let me or xxx know.........
> I know it is going to take some getting used
>to. If anyone else has any suggestions, please
>let me know and I will consider them. Let them
>know you appreciate their cooperation with this
>good news/bad news situation.]
>Good Luck
>
>E WartE Wart
E Wart
I would designate the parking closest to the building as patient parking.
Allow some spaces further away from building for the tenure ees but narrow it to only 15 yr.
As for the rest of the ees carpooling or using public transportation would help in this situation. Minimizing traffic and parking problems. People working the same shifts can opt to drive in together. Give some type of incentive for this (ex: Starbucks Gift certs or $5 for gas, pay part of bus fare) you can decide on the incentive if you want to offer one at all.
JMO,
Lisa
Is the vacant lot owned by the medical practice? Could some safety type features be installed like better lighting, security cameras or a chain link fence or something? These would probably be considered fixed assets and the depreciation amortized over several years (a benefit to the bottom line!)
It might be advisable to designate the acceptable parking areas you want the staff to park in (i.e. edges of existing lot or vacant lot) Send them a letter explaining the reasoning for the decision, any improvements you are making to make it safer and give them a date down the road when the parking areas/expectations will be changing. I think there's no way to avoid "backlash" - they'll be upset but they'll get over it. Just remind them why it's being done.
As for the 10-15 year employees they probably feel "entitled" to their parking spot. We used to have assigned parking and something similar for the employees with the most seniority. We got rid of it when we remodeled our parking lot and building. Now it is first come, first serve. The only drawbacks (I think to both situations) is that you end up being the parking spot police.
1. Designate a determined # of spaces for handicaped and patients only and ENFORCE IT.
2. Do away with special parking for long term employees.
3. Do not create a Female only parking lot.
4. Do offer security at night. i.e. no one allowed to walk to the parking area alone.
Finally, the person who states that she sees auto's w/o handicapped stickers in handicap spaces, up here in Mass., we look for that and it calls for a heavy fine, which the Police are only too pleased to issue.
Please tell us what it is about a Human Resources job that prods us to 'Change the habits of employees'. I really have no contention that any part of my responsibility involves the social or behavioral choices of employees, unless it conflicts with my workplace policies. Maybe I totally misunderstood your post. But, I'm just wondering if some northeastern notion of management might lead one to think we have a right to manage the finite details of employee behavior. And, does that include whether we should, in addition to where to park, counsel them about unprotected sex, staying away from Oreos and the utilization of tobacco?
Right you are, I was surprised that those spots are not enforced in other places. Maybe we're more confrontational. I won't tell you what happened to the cars that used to be parked in my grandfather's handicapped spot in front of his house...
scorpio