Workplace Harassment

My father is 56 years old. He has always had trouble reading, writing, and spelling. I isn't diagnosed as having LD, but I suspect he should be. My father is supposed to be completing a training course for his job (be repairs copiers) but it is taking him a long time. He was behind in this training after being out of work for 3 months with a back spasm, and has been trying his hardest to catch up. He works on the online training courses every chance he gets.

Employees are supposed to get paid for the time they spend training. His boss is upset because he says my dad takes 2 to 3 times as long as the "average" employee to complete the courses, and says he can not pay my dad for that time. He is constantly belittling my father.

My mother wants him to file a harassment claim. But we aren't sure how that would work. We know that harassing someone who has a LD is illegal, but my father isn't diagnosed. Is there anything we can do?

Generally filing harassment suits aren't worth it. There are specific categories that people aren't allowed to harass you about, but unfortunately just calling you stupid or slow isn't in one of those categories unless you have a documented disability and it's because of that documented disability. (You could check your specific local harassment laws, but - we had a workshop here about it - there really are specific categories like race and creed that you're not allowed to harass somebody about, and just about anything else is fair game unless it involves assault or otherwise breaking laws.) Unfortunately, odds are even if he went and got documentation, he'd have to start over documenting the harassment.

Would a screen reader help him? Or somebody to read with/to him?

Sue J, webmastress www.resourceroom.net