
Quoting
PADriver13
My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: PA
I have a co-worker who is very ill. He is in the final stages of battling lung cancer and has numerous other health issues. He is currently 66 years old. He was supposed to have retired a year ago, however, my employer continues to allow him to work so that he will maintain his medical benefits.
Over the past several months, those of us who have to work with him have had to tolerate his mood swings and other attitude issues. Little things, like him requiring us to keep the thermostat set to 80 because he is on Comudin and always cold. We must endure his grumpiness and shortness to our clients.
This past week, he collapsed at work and needed to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. My co-workers and I have expressed concern to management, and management says that allowing this individual to continue working is giving him hope and keeping his spirits up. While that may be true, he is making our working environment undesirable to be at.
The guy is literally dying. He can't make it thru the day without falling asleep in his chair, not hearing clients who come into our store, and having 5-6 coughing fits a day that are uncontrollable. He is forgetful, is easily confused, and cannot handle the physical demands of working an 8-hour day.
Is there a legal angle to help convince management that this is not the best decision? We don't even know if his doctors have officially cleared him to work. Would would happen if he died in the office? Could my company be sued? Maybe that would encourage them to tell him to stay home?