Dispute in Academia over remote work

Dispute in Academia over remote work

As academic spaces open up, there is a battle going on between university administrators and professors with disabilities. For a very long time now disabled teaching faculty have argued that remote teaching can work and have failed to convince the administration. However, due to the pandemic, everything was shifted online much to the relief of these faculties. They found it much more convenient to work remotely as it gave them better access to medicines and other aid and they did not have to find special means of transport. Now that the universities are re-opening, these professors have been asked to work again, this is done because academia is predominantly an in-person teaching experience. 

There is also talks about what is considered a disability. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers cannot discriminate because of disability. ADA also states that this does not exempt the employee from performing tasks that are integral do the job. Alice Freifeld a history professor at the University of Florida applied to teach remotely owing to her chronic cough and allergies, her request was denied by the school as it was not considered a disability. Freifeld said that this made her feel powerless and forced her to quit after 27 years of service. Experts believe that this is a precursor to what companies can expect if they mandate their workforce to work in person. This tension is already awaiting JPMorgan Chase & Co and Goldman Sachs who have asked their employees to come to work in person.

Source: Reuters

You might also like

For several reasons, the IT sector is appealing to job seekers. ...Read more

Despite the opposition of restaurant owners who worried it would raise customers' bills, California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a nation-leading law providing more than 500,000 fast food employees additional authority and rights. ...Read more

Demands for improved pay and workplace environments are coming from workers in California to New York. ...Read more

New graduates from institutions in Nigeria and other African nations have been made aware of job prospects by Microsoft. ...Read more

A mattress company is searching for a role where napping while working is not only acceptable but also required. 'Casper Sleepers' are being hired by Casper, a New York-based business established in 2014. ...Read more

Articles

When people are looking frantically for employment, scammers get a chance to exploit their weakness ...Read more

Recruitment is getting more challenging day by day. Layers of complexities have emerged with the pa ...Read more

If your organization is on a hiring spree too, one of the key things to consider is the recruitment ...Read more

Companies have resorted to digital hiring processes to ensure health, safety, and convenience to jo ...Read more