May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Individuals with mental health conditions are protected in the workplace in several different ways, but we will see employers having difficulty in this context. Whether it’s because of stigmas associated with mental health conditions, or a lack of awareness as to how to handle situations where an employee needs support during a difficult time, this is one of the most common areas where we see things falling apart at work.
Many if not most mental health conditions are “disabilities” within the meaning of the anti-discrimination laws including the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the New York State Human Rights Law (NYHRL). This means that qualified employees are entitled to reasonable accommodations and to be free from discrimination, harassment and retaliation for making a complaint of violations of the law. Under the NYHRL, victims of domestic violence are also entitled to time off to receive counseling. Mental health conditions can also fall under the definition of a “serious health condition” within the meaning of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FMLA is the federal law that gives eligible employees of larger private employers and public employers up to twelve weeks of job protected leave.
WHAT IF YOU NEED SUPPORT?
Sometimes employees need time off to treat a mental health condition. Other times, employees need an accommodation because, for example, a medication may incapacitate them at certain times of the day. In either of these situations, the law typically puts the initial burden on the employee to give the employer enough information to put it on notice that leave or an accommodation is needed. If you are eligible for FMLA leave, the employer will typically provide you with a medical certification for your doctor to complete. If you are more in the reasonable accommodation context (and sometimes a scenario falls under more than one statute), your employer is required to engage in an interactive process with you to figure out a suitable accommodation. You may not always be entitled to exactly what you’re asking for, but the law wants the employer and employee to work together to find a solution.
WHEN DO THINGS GO SOUTH?
Sometimes the nature of the mental health condition carries stigmas that result in discrimination in the workplace. Maybe you don’t need an accommodation or leave at all, but your employer becomes aware that you went to rehab or that you are a veteran with PTSD. Sometimes we see employers start to treat employees differently – they suddenly consider them to be a danger, or they start micromanaging them.
Other times employers simply don’t realize the disability laws are implicated, and they don’t treat a mental health condition the same way they might treat a physical condition that requires an accommodation. Sometimes, at the end of FMLA leave, an employer might perceive their legal obligations to be met, and they fire an employee who needs a little more time off. At that point, the disability laws may have protected an additional period of leave, and sometimes employers get themselves in trouble in that context.
It can be very difficult to raise a mental health struggle to your boss. And, unfortunately, sometimes this disclosure does result in a breakdown of the employment relationship. But employees do have rights and it is important for employers to be aware of these rights, to avoid applying stigmas, and to treat with sensitivity a situation that is often temporary – at least in its impact on the workplace – and can be handled with compassion and moved past.
Every situation is unique, including whether a condition falls within the applicable laws or whether an accommodation is feasible. This article should not be relied on as legal advice or in taking action at work. If you need support, consult your handbook on appropriate procedures and consider speaking to HR or an attorney about your options.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Giovanna A. D’Orazio has experience litigating, among other things, commercial, general civil, employment, land use and personal injury matters in New York State and federal courts. Giovanna also has experience litigating Article 78 proceedings in New York State court.
Glens Falls High School will host the 18th annual Art Expo on Thursday, May 18th, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Every art student in grades 9 through 12 will be showing at least one piece of art created during the school year, and this year’s exhibit will also include selected pieces from the Middle School and Elementary Schools. The lineup will include drawings, paintings, ceramics, photography, creative crafts, computer art, and more!
The Seniors Portfolio Exhibit will also be on review for those in attendance.
The fun doesn’t stop at viewing all the art work, either – there will be a bake sale, a ceramic ice cream bowl sale, a silent auction, an art sale with proceeds benefiting the Permanent Student Art Collection, and much more!
The 18th Annual Glens Falls High School Art Expo is free and open to the public, and will be held in the main hallways of the high school building.
The goal of “No Mow May” is to pause the mowing of lawns during the month of May… This pause in mowing allows flowers to bloom in your yard, and help early pollinators get an appreciable start after hibernation. Lawns cover 40 million acres of land in the United States, and are the single most irrigated crop that we grow… Lawns provide little benefit to wildlife, and are actually often harmful! Grass-only lawns do not have flowers or nesting sites for bees, and lawns are often treated with pesticides that are harmful to bees and other invertebrates.
The start of the growing season is an important time for native bees and other pollinators, as flowers may be hard to find… By allowing the flowers to grow, much-needed pollen can be harvested to help pollinators thrive. There are other benefits to mowing less as well – it can help to create habitats, and increase biodiversity in local wildlife.
By mowing the lawn less, there can be year-round benefits! Taller grass tends to have deeper roots, and less water evaporates from the soil. Reducing the use of lawn mowers reduces air and noise pollution, and mowing less frequently creates better conditions for invertebrates, including lacewings and fireflies.
Although “No Mow May” is beneficial to the environment, it can be controversial… Many people feel societal pressure to keep their lawns neat and clean. To offset this problem, there are signs that can be placed to explain that you are participating in “No Mow May”. It is also advised that although your grass will be longer, you should still consider trimming other areas of the lawn, and make sure that all debris is picked up so that the yard otherwise looks neat. Another solution would be to mow around the edges of the property, to help convey that you are maintaining the property.
If participating in “No Mow May” somehow isn’t an option, there are other ways to help the environment and pollinators – you could plant a variety of native plants that bloom throughout the season and provide natural nesting sites for bees. You could also reduce or eliminate pesticide use… And simply talking to friends and neighbors can help, too! Talking about the effect that we have on the environment, and the steps that we can take to reduce our impact on the environment, can inspire action on the part of others.
For more information about “No Mow May” Please visit beecityusa.org
The Queensbury Union Free School District Board of Education intends to appoint Nick McPartland to the position of Queensbury Middle School Principal.
McPartland has previously served as Director of Athletics, Health & Physical Education for the Saratoga Springs City School District since 2019… Before that, he held the same position at South Glens Falls Central School District, where he was also the senior class Assistant Principal. He has also worked as a Health and PE Teacher, and Coach in Greenwich and Hudson Falls schools.
He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education, as well as a Master’s Degree in Health Education from SUNY Cortland. He also received certificates of advanced study in education leadership from SUNY Plattsburgh.
“I’m really excited to be joining the school community at Queensbury,” McPartland said. “I’m looking forward to collaborating closely with students, staff, and community members.”
McPartland’s duties will include supervising the assistant principal, teachers, staff, and paraprofessionals, as well as the daily use of the school facilities for both academic and nonacademic purposes. He will act as a liaison between the school and the community, interpreting activities and policies of the school and encouraging community participation in school life.
“Nick has a proven track record of excellence,” said Superintendent Kyle Gannon. “I could not be more thrilled about his dedication and commitment to students, staff and hard work throughout his career. He brings a special quality of enthusiasm and experience to the position. He will be introducing himself to the Queensbury community soon.”
McPartland will replace Interim Principal Tom Martin, who has been temporarily filling the role since March, when Mike Brannigan was named the new Director of Social and Emotional Learning.
McPartland lives in Greenfield Center with his wife, Kelsey. He will begin his tenure as Principal on July 1st, 2023.
On Monday, June 26th, Folds of Honor New York will be hosting their 1st Annual Patriot Golf Tournament at the Edison Club in Rexford, New York. The goal of this 27-hole golf tournament was to have 175 players participate, and it is officially SOLD OUT!
Performance Industrial’s Owner & CEO Bill Miller, and Operations Manager Sean Willcoxon, are on the board of Folds of Honor New York. They have each put a tremendous amount of time and effort into making this event a success, and that hard work is paying off! This much anticipated golf outing will have amazing food and beverages throughout the day, as well as top-notch entertainment, and all for a wonderful cause.
Folds of Honor was founded in 2007… It began with Lt. Col. Dan Rooney’s flight home from his second tour of duty in Iraq. When his flight landed, the pilot announced that they were carrying the remains of Corporal Brock Bucklin on Board… Lt. Col. Rooney watched as Corporal Bucklin’s twin brother and the deceased Corporal’s young son walked alongside the flag-covered coffin. Since that day, Lt. Col. Rooney has committed himself to rallying patriotic Americans, and meeting sacrifice with hope through Folds of Honor.
Since 2007, Folds of Honor has provided life changing scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military, and this program is now being expanded to include the families of first responders as well.
Although the event itself is sold out, there are still other ways to participate! If you would like to support this incredible cause and be a part of the event, please consider purchasing a tee sign, pin flag, or for $100, a reception-only ticket. The reception from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM will feature Live music from Big Sky Country, and speaker Alan Mack!
Alan Mack retired from the Army as a Master Aviator. He served for over 35 years – first as a mechanic, and then as a pilot. Mack has over 6700 hours of flight time, of which 3200 hours were flown with night vision goggles. His book, “Razor 03: A Night Stalkers War” is an account of combat from the cockpit of a special ops aviation unit; Razor 03 is a radio call sign from just after 9/11. This book features first hand recollections, and the raw emotion of Mack’s time in service. Mack believes that training he received was an integral part of his success.
The Folds of Honor event is for a worthy cause, and will be hosted at a great location, too – The Edison Club! It has a unique history – the original concept for the club was inspired by employees of General Electric in 1903, where records show that the concept for The Edison Club was formulated in bar-room discussion amongst GE employees while waiting for a train in Garrison, New York. The original concept was for a “men’s club” as a place to meet to formulate friendships and make business connections… It was named after Thomas Alva Edison, one of the most prominent inventors of the 20th century, and who spent many years working at GE Schenectady… Over the years, the club named for him has evolved into a Country Club, Private Golf Course, and Private Event Space.
This event will be a great day out for a wonderful cause, and will even have incredible food… Megabites, Pies on Wheels, Brown’s Brewing Company, Innovo Kitchen, and Mazzone Hospitality will all be on hand with a variety of offerings throughout the event!
For more information, please visit Performanceindustrial.com, or the Folds of Honor NY FaceBook page.
Kendra Ballard scored a game-high four goals, and both Kendal Kelsey and Kaitlyn Barton tallied three goals and two assists to lead the Queensbury varsity girls lacrosse team to a 14 to 7 triumph over Shenendehowa on Monday. Goalkeeper Bayley Duffy registered an assist to go along with eight saves, and Meredith Montgomery chipped in with a pair of goals and two assists to keep the Spartans unbeaten at 10-0.
For Shenendehowa, Kelly Augeri pumped in three goals, while Chloe Scanlan recorded two goals and two assists.
Score by halves: Queensbury 9-5=14, Shenendehowa 4-3=7.
Hot Yoga Queensbury, located at 118 Quaker Road in Queensbury, is an open, loving, non-judgmental space for people to feel safe and grow. Owner Serena Smith and her team of 16 instructors are committed to helping to support people physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually.
Hot Yoga can improve flexibility, range of motion, balance, posture and strength. It’s a cardiovascular workout… Higher temperatures can burn more calories by elevating your heart rate, and Hot Yoga can increase your circulation and have a relaxing effect on your muscles. Being exposed to heat can improve endurance and capacity to build muscle, and the controlled and healthy stress applied during hot yoga can build mental stamina and resilience. There are also other effects that help improve quality of life, including improving bone mineral density, sleep quality, pulmonary function, and psychological health.
The studio at Hot Yoga Queensbury is a state-of-the-art studio with infrared technology, which provides a sun like warmth which enhances your yoga experience – the infrared heat does not heat the air, it heats the body and the room… This promotes a deep sweat to help eliminate toxins and allow muscles and joints to stretch. The studio is also equipped with a Dyson purification unit to provide the best possible air quality.
The Hot Yoga Queensbury instructors are Yoga Alliance certified, and are trained in First Aid, CPR, and AED use.
Serena Smith – proud owner of Hot Yoga Queensbury – took over ownership in October of 2022. She has a background in the hospitality industry, and began taking yoga in 2015… Prior to taking over Hot Yoga Queensbury, Serena owned a restaurant, a coffee shop, and a food truck! “The entrepreneurial spirit is something that has blossomed out of me. I have passion for these industries,” she said.
Serana has worked to create a very inclusive community at Hot Yoga Queensbury, and would like to invite more people to drop in for a class or join one of their upcoming events. Her staff of 16 instructors each bring a diverse skill set to their classes so there is something for everyone. Her staff have a variety of playlists that set a tone for each workout, and highlight each for their individual personality: “Yoga is something that can be enjoyed at an early age (and) throughout life. We have fifteen-year-old kids, and we have adults in their seventies… Everyone finds what works for them, and everyone can work at their own pace,” Serena said.
Hot Yoga Queensbury has a variety of upcoming events that are open to the public: on Sunday, May 7th, they are holding a meditation & writing workshop from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM! This is a thoughtful 90-minute introspective workshop that will combine meditation, visualization, and gentle yoga poses with journaling prompts.
On Sunday June 4th, Yoga on West Mountain begins. These are 60-minute all levels Vinyasa classes, which take place on the summit of West Mountain in Queensbury, New York. The cost per class is $40, and they are held every Sunday through October 15th! This price includes a lift ticket, and there are also more events listed on the Hot Yoga Queensbury website.
Senera cares about community and creating events that help others… To promote giving back to the community Serena opens the yoga studio for charity events: “We have been doing a once a month donation class… So it’s a free class that anyone can come to, and it’s taught by different teachers who donate their time to teach the class… I donate the space, and we pick a charity. We recently chose WAIT House, and they were collecting household cleaning supplies and materials so you could come and donate a cleaning product and take the class,” she said. The mission of WAIT House is to provide stability to youth who present themselves as homeless.
The priority of Hot Yoga Queensbury is that people feel included and comfortable, and Serena is proud of the community that she is helping to build: “When people show up for those donation classes, they really show up. We got tons of stuff that we have been able to donate to charity… That’s a way for us to give back. It feels really good. That’s what yoga is about. People love it.”
City Historian Wayne Wright, in front of a display he created at City Hall
Wayne Wright is somewhat of a fixture at City Hall… He has been the historian for the City of Glens Falls since November of 1999, and has worked for the city since 1980. As the City Historian for the last 24 years, Wayne has been responsible for receiving and maintaining archival records relating to the city’s history, answering historical and genealogical requests, and other research. He prepares and maintains historical displays relating to the city, and he is also a member of the Glens Falls Cemetery Commission and works on improving all documentation needed to maintain burial records and the history of the cemetery.
Wayne is originally from Hudson Falls, but when he came to work for the city in 1980, Glens Falls became his home… He started out working for the city doing maintenance work, taking care of Glens Falls City parks and the city properties downtown. From 1980 to 1988, he would pack boxes for different departments for the city… During this time, it became apparent that Wayne had an interest in keeping and maintaining records, so Wayne stepped away from working at City Hall in 1988 to pursue his education – he took classes at Adirondack Community College (now SUNY Adirondack), where he earned an Associate’s Degree in Tourism and History, and in 1991, Glens Falls received a State Archives grant: “I was hired back to work through that grant. I was working under the grant and writing the grants. The money from the grants would be given out once a year to the agencies that apply for the funds,” Wayne said. He did this for several years and found the work to be fulfilling: “It was a lot of fun, to read the grants and see where the money was going… About half of the grants that are applied for would get funding,” he said.
Wayne has an indelible love for the history of Glens Falls, and he has spent his career making the most of every opportunity that was given to him: “I started out taking care of city parks and city property downtown… I did maintenance work year round. I pushed snow around. In 1995, the woman that worked as a clerk retired… At that time, it was getting harder and harder to fill salaries, so they made me a full time clerk and I worked in the City Clerk’s Office, everything I picked up along the way I kept.” he said, demonstrating a characteristic of a true historian.
Wayne enjoys his work as the City Historian, and believes that his love of history comes from his parents: “I grew up in a household where we all had an interest in history… My parents were interested in history, so this has always fit,” he said.
Wayne sees the importance of filling out the history of Glens Falls; he creates files where there have been none, and sorts through all of the items that people donate. “People donate pictures and items and I take care of those items. I have created displays for the second floor, and helped with family trees, I help people with their genealogy… And I answer local questions about peoples’ houses. People move here and they want to feel like they are a part of the city. They want to know who owned the house before them and when it was built… If I can find that information for them, they are very appreciative,” Wayne said.
Wayne would love to have more information about the houses in Glens Falls and the families that have lived in them: “The houses in the city, no matter what street they are on, as they are bought and sold, the new people want to know about the history of the houses… And the history of the families that have lived there. If anyone has that information, I would love to make a copy of that,” he said.
Wayne finds that technology has helped to make his job a lot easier, although he appreciates how much information was cataloged and maintained prior to use of computers and the internet: “You can get so much information from the old newspapers. The pictures and the articles bring the stories alive… I believe in images. Images expand the whole experience for people who are researching their family and family history,” Wayne said.
With the evolution of technology and his limited time in the office, Wayne mostly receives requests via email, and suggests that people use community resources that are in Glens Falls: “Now, since I work two days a week, people email me their requests… There are great resources in the community. The Folklore Center in Crandall Library has so much information, and they are very friendly and helpful. The Chapman Museum can be a great resource for people looking for more information about the area, as is the cemetery – there are more that 15,000 graves in the Glens Falls Cemetery on Bay Street, and it’s still an active cemetery. There are 70 to 80 burials a year,” Wayne said.
In his free time, Wayne surrounds himself with his extensive family of kids and grandkids, and spends time with his wife of 33 years, and he is also a published author, having written the book “Listening In: Memories of Glens Falls 1755-1931”. A grant was used to pay for the publishing of this book, so all the money that is made from the book is spent on history projects.
If anyone would like to donate memorabilia or historical items to the city, or would like a copy of Wayne’s book, please contact Wayne Wright at historian@cityofglensfalls.com, or call (518) 761-3871.
