Image Credit: Photofunia.com The title of this blog post is somewhat misleading. Yes, this post combines cars and employment law. But, more than anything, it was just an excuse to use this cool image, play The Cars – a song called “Drive,” no less – and say, “Dude, where’s my…
Articles Posted in Disability
Hear ye! Hear ye! 45,000 reasons not to publicize details of an employee’s EEOC charge of discrimination
For those of you who work in HR, what do you do when you learn that an employee has filed a charge of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act? Raise your hand if the answer is not publicizing details of…
Grab your company’s job applications and ADA pearls. Now, click this post and clutch tightly.
A few years ago, one of my colleagues emailed me and asked if I would review a particular question on a client’s job application. Specifically, the client wanted to know whether a certain health-related inquiry was something the client could do before extending a conditional offer of employment. Well, not…
If necessary, the ADA allows a company to make an employee see a doctor before returning to work.
No, it won’t violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. One of your employees is displaying erratic behavior at work. While you’re no medical expert, you feel as if the employee may become a threat to herself or others, if she isn’t already. So you place the employee on leave and require…
Does the ADA protect an individual who uses prescription drugs to battle addiction to illegal drugs?
As the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s fiscal year comes to a close, the agency has filed a slew of discrimination lawsuits. One that caught my eye involves an employer that allegedly rescinded an offer of employment once it found out that the individual was using prescription drugs to treat…
How much leave from work is unreasonable under the ADA? [SPOILER ALERT: Not much]
That’s because, last week, a federal appellate court held that long-term medical leave is not a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 12 weeks of FMLA plus 2-3 more months of leave. The case is Severson v. Heartland Woodcraft, Inc., and you can read the Seventh Circuit’s opinion here.…
Does the ADA require you to favor minimally-qualified disabled employees over rock-star job applicants?
It depends. (Of course, it does). Suppose that you employ someone who, during the course of his employment, becomes disabled. This disability makes it impossible for the employee to perform his current job. Enter the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA requires an employer to provide a reasonable accommodation to a qualified…
Does the ADA ever require six months of employee leave? Sure does, says the EEOC.
Is this the face of a company that would fire an employee who was on leave receiving treatment for breast cancer rather than granting her request for additional leave for more treatment? Yes indeed according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.According to this press release and this complaint filed in…
Federal judge to EEOC: Your wellness-program incentive rules are kind’ve a big dumpster fire
Well, maybe not in those words exactly. But, the judge did have some scathing words for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s take on wellness-program incentives. Remind me. What are these incentive rules? Back in 2016, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission passed new regulations impacting wellness programs. Among other things,…
Sometimes, a little flexibility — and (gasp) humanity — can avoid a big employment lawsuit
Ah yes. We’re going to attempt to put the “human” in HR today. **clutches icy-cold lawyer heart** In Grant v. Hospital Authority of Miller County (opinion here), the plaintiff filed and was approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act due to complications with her pregnancy. After giving birth…