Won't Let 2 Females Work Together On Ambulance

[akflightmedic]

I don't think its gender discrimination to have 1 of each gender on a truck.

Sure it is, because if you have that policy then your hiring practices would have to be balanced otherwise you would end up with too many of one gender on staff which would throw off the staffing policy, force overtime, totally change the way business is done. If someone calls in sick, then again a male might be passed over for overtime due to a female needing to be on the rig or vice versa. The examples go on and on and whenever there is an UNREASONABLE accommodation being made on baseless claims devoid of any fact, then it is absolutely discrimination.

And we have not even approached how we classify the gays, lesbians and transgendered. I have worked with all of the above, had a male partner going through the hormone therapy in preparation for the change...so yes, it is one of the most clear examples of discrimination.

[Richard B the EMT]

My girlfriend, despite her small size (5 foot 3, claims she weighs 105 pounds, but I suspect less) can lift better than some women of larger size. I had also worked with one woman who couldn't lift to save her own life, whom I commented on, in a different string some time back.

2 women together? If they can handle the job when not together, I see nothing wrong. Lawsuit? I admit I am undecided.

Momma B just looked over my shoulder, and asked if they would make such a fuss for 2 small men?

[Happiness]

We only have one boy and the rest are girls, so no problem (kind of feel sorry for the boy sometimes)

[Just Plain Ruff]

Why feel sorry for the guy. I'll bet he loves working there especially if the ladies are HOT

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

[tcripp]

Does anyone here work for a company that has such a policy, do you think its legal ? What would you do if you were her ?

Interesting.

Female here. I do the EXACT same physical agility test to get hired in to my service. I do the EXACT same physical agility test every year to assure I am in the same shape I was upon hiring. Lifting 150 lbs on a backboard between two stretchers is the minimum.

So, we do run dual female trucks, although it's by rotation. (We rotation between 4 stations so that every month I move 'to the right' and the EMTs move 'to the left'. This way, we have a different station/partner each month. Does that make sense?)

Legal? Why not. It's the company's policy and I assume it's documented. Asinine? Probably, but it's at the discretion of the company and was probably based on some history. Policies have been created for a reason - most likely from something someone somewhere did...once.

Options? If they really want to work together, have them take the case to the manager and ask for an exception to the rule on a trial basis. If it's seen that it won't work...then split them up. This may well be the best team ever...and they wouldn't want to miss out because of a gender thing.

*edited for my own grammar errors...ugh!

Edited March 28, 2011 by tcripp

[scubanurse]

One would think being "close friends" she would have known two things:

1. Her friend works at the service

2. The policy in place cause girls talk way too much

[HERBIE1]

This topic has been brought up many times before.

Well, color me a sexist pig since I prefer to work with males. No, not every female is weaker than a male- just the vast majority. We do have a double standard on my job- women do not need to pass the same physical tests as males, thus most of the time, their capabilities are not equal. Is it handy to have a female for OB calls? Sure, but I've delivered over a hundred babies and not once did any woman seem to have a problem with me or express any discomfort or displeasure over my presence- they were a bit too preoccupied with the task at hand. I am respectful, mindful of their privacy, and always professional. In cases of sexual assault, if necessary I have requested a female family member/friend or LEO to ride with us and it worked out fine.

I always know if I have worked with a woman. The following day, my back tells me this every single time. Of the dozens of female partners I have worked with, I can count on one hand how many could carry their own weight. Sorry, but it's the God's honest truth.

Is it discrimination for a company to refuse to let 2 women work together? Probably, but IMHO, it's also a crock of BS. In a perfect world, you would have one physical ability test, and if you pass- male, female, midget or alien- you get the job. If not- sorry- find another line of work. I am too short to be a pro basketball player, and too small and slow to be a pro NFL player, so should I expect to have special accommodations to allow me to do those jobs simply because I want to? I'm quite sure I can memorize plays, pass routes, and understand the game, so why shouldn't I expect them to lower their standards for me?

Sadly, the law says being PC and gender neutral is more important than the health and well being of the workers who must adapt to someone's shortcomings.

\\\ I relinquish my soap box, and let the flames begin.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I do not disagree with you Herbie. I also have back pain after I've worked with a female partner, even with the electronic cots.

Unfortunately, I've had back pain after working with males because well, damnit, they sometimes also can't lift. Wussies

But seriously, The company has the right to require whatever crew staffing that they want in my opinion.

What I bet is this, the company has had a situation in the past where a 2 female crew didn't call for a lift assist and both or one of the females was permanently disabled and is costing the company a big hunk of change. Is it right to require that, I'm not the boss nor a worker for the said company so it doesn't affect me one way or another.

AK, your knowledge on discrimination from a employer's perspective is pretty up to date so maybe you know something I don't but as an employer I think that if they have policies in place that this couldn't be considered discrimination.

What would be interesting to find out from Crotchity would be the state that his friend is in. Maybe that would help us out.

[DwayneEMTP]

This is discriminatory thinking just as much as the double female staffing...what exactly constitutes a male or female issue? Are these call outs so common that there is a need to have a male or female depending on the sex of the patient?

Are you saying that as a male I can not effectively treat a female "problem"? Are you trying to say I could not deal with an OB issue/delivery/complication, a sexual assault, bacterial vaginosis, STDs, unusual discharges, lump in the breast? What are you going to do that is any different than me simply because you have a vagina and I don't?

I can talk about and handle any of these issues with professionalism and empathy. Prehospitally or more specifically on an ambulance, the treatments will not change based on the health care provider's sex. On the flip side are you saying as a female that you could not handle ED or penile discharges or male sexual assault?

Because short of sexual organ dysfunctions or OB, there is no difference between male and female EMS issues and there is absolute zero need to have a male for male issues and female for female issues. That is one HUGE step backwards for medicine overall and an extremely narrow minded point of view.

Yeah, but you watch musicals so that means that you practically have a vagina, so you don't count. I don't think that she's implying that anyone shouldn't be able to handle anything that comes their way, only that some folks are more comfortable with one sex or another. Also the legal liability is bound to be smaller with same sex care providers. And as we've had this conversation, I know that legal issues would not prevent either of us from rendering appropriate, compassionate, care, but if I had the option of allowing my 80 year old Female to expose her bleeding rectum to my female partner instead of me..I would do so for a plethora of reasons... :-)

I think male/female teams are best simply because it's more pleasant in many cases, in my experience, to hang out with the opposite sex. Also, many of the strongest providers I've known have been female.

I think that perhaps Crotchity is telling tales for the sake of teaching a lesson as there is not a service in the U.S. that wouldn't be sued into oblivion for making such comments...

Also, to anyone bragging on their continuing education....Good to have you..it truly is, but you should really attempt to create posts at at least the high school level when commenting on your college education to avoid looking, in the very least, like a bullshitter.

Dwayne

[crotchitymedic1986]

The state is Pennsylvania, but i do not want to name the service for obvious reasons. Also I must admit, I do not know the other female, so it is possible that she is a diva who doesn't want to break a nail, so the company has a good reason for not giving her a female partner, but my friend presented this as a blanket policy (she had not realized that this was the policy prior, as the men outnumber the women 3 or 4 :1 at that service). I just remember seeing double female trucks in an urban service back in the 80s, of course they always had plenty of firemen around to assist in that department, so it seemed odd that it would be that backwards in this century.

But I must defend whoever stated most women do not measure up to men in lifting ability and are often NOT required to take the same physical agility test as men, that has been the case almost everywhere I worked.

I also have to take exception to whoever said 400lb patients are rare. I can remember early in my career, if we lifted someone over 300lbs, it was either a wrestler or a professional football player, and it was rare. These days, you get a 350-400 pounder at least weekly if not daily.

So I can see both sides, but I am not sure a blanket policy is the answer to any perceived problem