The same day my disability accommodations are approved I suddenly lose the privilege to watch videos on my phone. A practice which everyone participates in and is not forbidden in the handbook.
I will start by saying that watching videos actually improves my work. I have ADHD and when I am multi tasking it helps me stay focused. That's the point of the other accomodations at work, which were approved by HR AND a 3rd party. According to my supervisor, the director of the department “noticed that I'm watching TV shows on my phone and can't do that anymore”. I say okay verbally and then follow up with an email asking if this rule only applies to me (with the implication that everyone else including our manager does this, some without earbuds loudly). She says “No one is really supposed to be watching TV shows or movies while working so if we see those we will address that issue separately “. I asked if this was related to my disability accomodation request and she said she wasn't sure what I was referring to. The thing is, I know she knows because I spoke with an HR rep yesterday and my supervisor is aware that this meeting will include a discussion about my ADA accomodations.
I immediately reported this to the Ethics hotline, which is investigated by a 3rd party, but it takes 5-6 days to get a response back. I don't believe the two events are unrelated, especially considering that my supervisor walked past someone watching TV on their phone after she left my desk. If I have to lose the privilege, it's fine, but the rule must be applied equally. Note: watching videos on your phone is not a prohibited action in the handbook, but retaliation against an employee for requesting accomodations is prohibited.
There's a pre-planned meeting tomorrow between me, my manager, supervisor, and an HR rep to discuss my accommodations tomorrow and implement them. I plan to bring up what happened today but I'm not sure how to begin. It's going to be a difficult conversation for sure. Any advice?