Work Place Analysis Assignment

Robyn Smith

Jordan Landing, West Jordan

• Business started 1974 by Susie Hyman and her brothers, Howard, Stephen and David

• 90 Stores throughout Utah, California, Nevada and Arizona

• Specifically geared to lower to middle income family shopping

• Very low overhead – no fancy stores – minimal services

Employee: Alexa - female 23 y.o.

Job Title: Sales Rep

Description of Job: “Taking care of customers first and then showing them the clothes and other fun things we have in the store. I unpack new shipments, move racks of clothes around, put together new displays to show off ways to put things in our store together to look great. I love my job.”

Specifications of Work Place

• No special schooling, all training done at the store they will work at. Trained by Store Manager or Division Manager

Job Preparation - Training

Tools, materials, equipment

• Cash register, ladders, box cutters, wall hooks, clothes hangers, pricing machines, cleaning equipment/supplies (mop, bucket), phone, price scanner, credit card machine

Space Demands of Job• Stores are quite crowded to maximize the space to show product.

• Stained concrete floors• Product is displayed on

racks, walls and in windows with bright fluorescent light

• Smaller products are in bins and on rotating displays

• Rack tops at eye level

Social Demands of Job

• Most Important Part of JOB

• Every customer is personally greeted upon entrance

• Assist customer to find full outfits

• Ability to tell customers about special upcoming sales events

Safety & Security

• Always at least two employees working at a time

• Sometimes hard to get between racks when clearance racks added to floor

• Climb ladders to stock wall displays

• Work with box cutters to open new shipments

• Standing entire shift

Motor Skills Required

• Ability to manipulate small items e.g. jewelry (FM Skills)

• Ability to raise arms above head to stock wall space (AROM)

• Ability to open boxes and unpack inner shipment items (FM Skill)

• Ability to move between floor racks safely (Good Proprioception)

• Ability to stand for extended periods, bend and lift items up to 35 pounds (Strength , endurance)

Process Skills Needed

• Ability to match items in a fashionable manner for display and customer assistance (Visual color acuity)

• Ability to determine if cash register is ringing up correct item (recognize numbers and if price is reasonable)

• Ability to check packing slips against inventory in shipment (count and identify)

• Ability to process credit cards correctly (follow written instructions)

• Make proper change for cash purchases (math functions)

Communication Skills

• Ability to hear door buzzer alert when new customer arrives and alert buzzer when customer enters fitting room (Hearing WNL with or w/o adaptation)

• Ability to speak to customers (Language and pronunciation WNL)

• Ability to speak on phone to call in customers (Hearing)

• Ability to read information on sales bulletins, coupons, cash register output and price tags (Reading comp)

• Ability to communicate with a smile that they are there to serve the customer (Facial expression of mood)

Required Body Structures and Functions

• Back and UE strength - good• UE mobility – good to fair• Balance – good to fair• Flexibility and LE strength – good• Visual Acuity – good• Verbal Communication skills – Max• Hearing – good• Ambulation – good• GM & FM skill – good to fair

Accommodations – Wheelchair (paraplegia, min. hemiplegia)

• Remove 3 racks to give full w/c access on floor

• W/c accessible fitting room currently• Division of duties to maximize strengths –

high stocking, unpacking deliveries• Swing free hinges to store room door• Entrance already ADA• Lowered Register station for w/c customer

use – used for employee • Quad individuals would not be able to

sufficiently perform job duties

Accommodations – Hearing/Visual Impairment

• Due to the high amount of customer interaction a severely hearing impaired individual (with hearing unable to be corrected with hearing aids) would have a difficult time working this job to the satisfaction of the management

• Visual Impairment would also be a challenge although a part time person could be assigned to work exclusively at the register

• UNHAPPILY - NOT REALLY AN OPTION EVEN WITH ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodations – Poor balance, FM Skills, Memory

• Each of these could be accommodated by utilizing safety measures and adaptive equipment such as Universal cuffs to handle smaller items

• Limited specific memory could be accommodated with written instructions for processes such as credit card processing

Conclusions

• Wheelchair use and limited UE disabilities could be accommodated

• Other disabilities could be accommodated but only with a change of company policy or greater latitude in job differentiation

REALISTICALLY? . . .

• Anyone that is not completely able-bodied would most likely not be working at this business.

How do we as OTAs change how the world views disabilities?

Education . . . One person at a time.

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