What We Do

Frontiers April 2014 Issue

‘How can I help you?’ Pam Zednick works for Boeing’s Accommodation Services organization, part of Shared Services Group. In this Frontiers series that profiles employees talking about their jobs, Zednick explains how she and her team are able to help others so they can better do what they do for Boeing. need anything from a simple work schedule adjustment to attend medical treatments to nonstandard equipment, furniture or facility modifications. I also help applicants get the services they need to apply for and compete effectively for a Boeing job. Sometimes, we work with local or state agencies, such as services for the blind, to help determine the best ways to accommodate employees. Those agencies are attuned to the cutting-edge tools that will best benefit our employees. In the end, my work is all about helping. That’s one reason I always answer the Accommodation Services help line by saying: “How may I help you?” Every time I ask that question, it reminds me why I’m here at Boeing. n len.vraniak@boeing.com Frontiers April 2014 11 WHAT WE DO Connecting people with the services they need to perform their jobs at Boeing By Len Vraniak and photo by Bob Ferguson Every day, my work helps improve people’s lives at their jobs. I don’t build or design commercial or military products, but the teams that do rely on me and the rest of the Accommodation Services team to help make their work possible. I help people who have medical impairments receive the accommodations necessary to apply for, interview for, and perform the essential functions of jobs at Boeing. And I look forward to the opportunity to help people every day at work. Although I’m a lead representative with the Accommodation Services organization, I’m also one of more than 90 Reasonable Accommodation employees at Boeing who are specially trained to support local requests for workplace accommodations. There are many events that might trigger a request for reasonable accommodation. Since medical impairments often are not visible or obvious, we depend on employees identifying themselves as needing workplace accommodations. An employee may notify his or her manager of a special need, or notify Human Resources. Or managers may become aware of an employee having difficulty at work. Our team also takes questions and requests directly. I started with Boeing in the late 1980s and eventually moved into what became known as Accommodation Services. Through the Learning Together Program I enhanced my ability to serve employees by becoming a Certified Professional in Disability Management. In 2008, I was part of an effort sponsored by Global Diversity and Employee Rights to develop and implement a companywide reasonable accommodation process. I am proud that my organization, Accommodation Services, became the model for the company’s process. One of the challenging aspects of my job is increasing awareness of reasonable accommodation among employees, managers and Human Resources professionals. Many employees may not know about Boeing’s process for providing accommodations until they start experiencing difficulties on the job, but the company is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to anyone with a medical need. Most accommodations are inexpensive and easy to provide. I work with many employees who For more information, employees can go to http://companymedical.web.boeing.com. From there, click the arrow next to “(Choose a transaction)” on the upper right of the page and select Accommodation Services.


Frontiers April 2014 Issue
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