Wrong, Kidney failure doesn't necessarily put you down and out. I've had kidney failure for over 32 years and still have a very productive life. I've been on Dialysis for over 2 1/2 years at two different points in my life and I've been doing great for 16 years on my current transplant. Don't rule him out just yet. If he has had a transplant he could be back on the job within 2 to 3 weeks. If he's on dialysis, it'll be a little harder but he should be able to function OK and return to work in a week or so.