Article Scrapbook #3 Lundy 1

Article Scrapbook #3

The University of South Carolina, College of Social Work

SOWK 441: Theories for Understanding Organizations and Communities

Professor Jennifer McCardle

October 7, 2022
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Article Scrapbook #3

The article “Man with Anxiety Awarded $450,000 For Forced Birthday Celebration” by

James Hunnicutt represents the lack of importance from others towards accommodations for

those with disabilities. A man named Kevin Berling was an employee of Gravity Diagnostics in

Kentucky. Due to his anxiety diagnosis and high probability of potential stress, he provided his

employer with an accommodation document, asking his employer to refrain from celebrating as

it would single him out. Even though Berling provided this document and his worry about the

topic, the company underwent a lunchtime surprise birthday party. Berling ended up having a

panic attack, leaving the party, and messaging his manager about him being upset that they did

not listen to his request.

Regardless of warning them about his reaction to such an experience, he was called into a

meeting and criticized the next day at work. The meeting resulted in another one of Berlings'

panic attacks and ultimately led to him being fired through a letter due to his health condition

and how he reacted. Berling filed a lawsuit against this employer for failing to recognize and

accommodate his disability, as it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the

ADA, so long as there are no hardships for the accommodation, the employer is required to

provide these accommodations. He was awarded $450,000 as the jury agreed that the

accommodations would not have forced hardship on the employer.

Within this situation, Berling undergoes circumstances that can relate to the theory by

Weber. An aspect that connects to this lawsuit is the Iron Cage. The Iron Cage explains how

people are stuck running on control, efficiency, and rationality in their environment. Some of the

frequent accommodations that support those with mental health conditions consist of “flexible

work schedules, the ability to telecommute or work from home, temporary leave to adjust to new
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medication or receive intensive counseling related to mental health, flexible or more frequent

breaks, and regularly scheduled meetings to discuss workplace issues and productivity”

(Hunnicutt, 2022). As the Iron Cage method implies that someone's view of the world is shaped

by their environment, there is difficulty when trying to imagine different ways of life. This

relates since the employer is losing control due to the accommodations that they could provide

and changing their values on the matter. For example, if the employer in his situation felt the

importance of celebrating someone’s birthday and then was asked to refrain from celebrating, it

is hard to change the morals of celebrating someone who works for you. In this instance, it is

different from Weber’s theory since Beling did not ‘obey’ or ‘accept’ the employers’ decision to

have the party and felt it was worth challenging.

When analyzing relevant social institutions and social work values and perspectives, it is

crucial to discuss how the ADA has power over these situations. These situations include

accommodations that are not harmful from being upheld. “The ADA prohibits employers from

discriminating against employees with disabilities, including mental health conditions that

interfere with major life activities. This includes failure to provide reasonable accommodations

for employees with disabilities, as was the case in this instance” (Hunnicutt, 2022). This case

reported by Hunnicutt highlights accommodating. It also focuses on understanding the

importance of employees that have mental health conditions and those with physical or non-

physical disabilities. The outcome of employers not facing and understanding these

accommodations puts them at risk of lawsuits that can become costly. Having the ADA in force

helps those discriminated against for their mental health conditions and various disabilities. The

ADA calls for an inclusive workplace environment. This allows a safe culture for the employee

to come forward without worrying about discrimination. The ADA providing these supports
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through the course of law shows social work values such as social justice, dignity, and worth of a

person, and the importance of human relationships.

Regarding mental health needs surrounding disabilities, accommodations must be

accessible for them as much as those with physical disabilities. Mental health needs are an aspect

of disability culture that goes unnoticed, just as disabilities go unnoticed as a minority group.
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Resources

Hunnicutt, James. “Man With Anxiety Awarded $450,000 For Forced Birthday Celebration.”

Jackson Spencer Law, 18 May 2022, https://jacksonspencerlaw.com/ada-

accommodations-at-work-anxiety-disorder/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2022.

“National Association of Social Workers (NASW).” NASW - National Association of Social

Workers, 2021, https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-

Ethics-English.