The Lesser Evil
I'm supposed to be heading to Idaho
in a week or so to start a new job, but things have gotten a bit
complicated. There are a number of reasons for this, but one of the
biggest complications is my service dog. Let me explain.
I'm in the middle of contract negotiations with a company that
isn't really interested in being equitable; instead, they're trying
to ensure that I get the short end of every part of the deal.
Naturally, I've been pushing back, and trying to ensure that the
contract is fair to both sides.
As a result, they're insisting that I come for a final interview
the Friday before I start the job. Of course, they insist that it's
not really an interview, but since the implementation of
the contract is contingent on the success of the meeting, that's
exactly what it is.
In my line of work, I'd usually refuse to jump through this
additional hoop. In-person interviews are a rarity in this
business, and are usually a huge red flag that something has gone
wrong during the contract negotiations. In this case, however, I've
decided that I need to give in to the demand for an in-person
interview because of Glindy.
You see, as an independent consultant, I'm not fully protected by
Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This law doesn't
really address contract employees or independent contractors,
leaving quite a lot open to judicial interpretation. While I
receive more protection under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act, that really only helps me when dealing with contracts that are
federally funded in some way.
So, as a matter of policy, I don't disclose the fact that I have a
service dog to prospective clients. It's not relevant to my ability
to perform the work that I'm hired to do, and could only prejudice
contract negotiations. Since most people are not evil enough to
turn someone away at the door when they show up to work with a
legitimate service animal, that's exactly what I do.
In this case, however, I'm torn. I'm pretty sure that the Idaho
agency I'm subcontracting through is looking for an excuse to
cancel the contract because I won't allow them to put some very
unreasonable provisions into the agreement. Look at it this way: if
I show up to work on my first day with a service dog in tow, after
having refused to meet with them in person, it looks like I was
trying to hide something; on the other hand, showing up for a
"non-interview" the week before gives them enough time to find some
excuse (other than my disability or the presence of my service dog)
to cancel the contract before my official start date.
In the end, it's not about what's right and wrong; it's about how
people think, and the motives they ascribe to others based on their
own frame of reference. It's a shame that I have to go through the
contortions of trying to guess what people may
think—especially since this is something very difficult to do
with Asperger's Syndrome—but in this case the effort is
probably warranted.
Going to the extra interview seems like the lesser of two evils.
Bad things could certainly come of it, but I'd much rather take the
moral high road instead of painting myself in a poor light. The
folks from the agency will just have to look after their own karma;
let's just hope that they're more upstanding people than I think
they are, and that they won't use this concession on my part as a
way to discriminate against me.