I am new to this forum and am actually an HR department of one.  I needed some advise on how to approach an employee about a touchy issue.  This employee has a wheelchair access tag for their elderly mother who lives with them.  She uses this tag to park in the handicap parking at work even though her mother is not with her.  The president of the company does not appreciate this and has asked that I speak with the employee regarding not parking in the handicap spot.  It seems it may be more of a moral issue but I wanted to see if anyone has any advise regarding how to address this with the employee.

 Thanks!

It may be a legal issue. Check your state DMV code for guidance. In VA. the code states:

§ 46.2-1242. Parking in spaces reserved for persons with disabilities; local ordinances; penalty.

A. No vehicles other than those displaying disabled parking license plates, organizational removable windshield placards, permanent removable windshield placards, or temporary removable windshield placards issued under § 46.2-1241, or DV disabled parking license plates issued under subsection B of § 46.2-739, shall be parked in any parking spaces reserved for persons with disabilities.

1. No person without a disability that limits or impairs his ability to walk shall park a vehicle with disabled parking license plates, organizational removable windshield placards, permanent removable windshield placards, temporary removable windshield placards, or DV disabled parking license plates issued under subsection B of § 46.2-739 in a parking space reserved for persons with disabilities that limit or impair their ability to walk except when transporting a disabled person in the vehicle.

Perhaps the employee is not aware that there are legal requirements that affect her when the disabled person is not in the vehicle. In fact there are some places that even if you have a disabled person and disabled tags, once you have discharged the person from the vehicle you must not park in a disabled spot. The driver may not be disabled so vehicle access to a disabled spot is not neccessary.

Anyway I would have a frank talk, pleasent, but frank and inform her of any state law governing disabled parking AND relay the expectation of the company and the president. Should not be a biggie.

Iti s probably a legal issue for the employee.  Call the police, ask them what the fine is and tell the employee, who may not understand that they are not entitled to handicap parking if they aren't the handicapped person, or assisting the handicapped person, or otherwise allowed under whatever your local laws permit.  I do not know of a state for which merely having the tag is sufficient if you don't need it or you aren't helping someone who does.

EDIT:  This message can be deleted.  TX had the answer posted before I did.

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Eat. Skate. Sleep. Repeat.

HRTX

I want you to know that about six minutes after you posed the question I responded with VA law and what I thought was a pleasent answer. For some reason, this makes the third or fourth time, I get a message from the moderator(s) that my post is under review and THEN it is four or five days later before it shows up. No explanation, no edit, just held up for days.

Sound like a complaint? Yep. Can you or will you moderators explain this?

I was getting cranky about it and sent something to customer service and got a timely and nice reply from the editor.

 

They're having problems keeping the boards clear and professional from robot posters that put advertisements up.  If you put a URL link in, it will be pulled for examination.  That's why I try to avoid it or use something like "the department of labor's website" or d0l dot c0m slash yada slash poobah.

TXHRGuy:

I was getting cranky about it and sent something to customer service and got a timely and nice reply from the editor.

They're having problems keeping the boards clear and professional from robot posters that put advertisements up.  If you put a URL link in, it will be pulled for examination.  That's why I try to avoid it or use something like "the department of labor's website" or d0l dot c0m slash yada slash poobah.

Thanks. I wondered why you wrote some things the way you do. I figured there was a reason, so now I know. I didn't place a URL but I did post a VA code. Maybe it picked up as the same thing. Anyway I will try writing it the way you do and see if that helps.

Thanks again.

Thanks to all for replying to this. It is a great help!