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Articles Posted in Disability

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Can an employer legally refuse to hire a smoker?

Keeping with this week’s smoking theme, I see that the The New York Times recently ran a story discussing how some employers are refusing to hire smokers. The article warns, ““Smokers now face another risk from their habit: it could cost them a shot at a job.” But is this…

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PA employee sleeps on the job and still collects unemployment

Hi there, Pennsylvania employers. Do you have employees that remind you of the sleeping gentleman in the picture to the right? After the jump, read about a local employee who was fired after getting caught sleeping on the job four times, and still successfully obtained unemployment compensation benefits! The case…

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New Jersey: No Adverse Employment Action Required for a Failure to Accommodate Disability Claim

There are plenty of good reasons that plaintiff’s lawyers heart the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD). It has a wide scope of coverage for employees with disabilities. It’s remedial purposes are incredibly broad. A plaintiff can go directly to court with a claim under the NJLAD without vetting it…

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Third Circuit Employment Law 101: ADA Mixed-Motive Disparate Impact Claims

Look what just arrived in today’s mail. It’s a charge of discrimination from the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Looks like Robert Rank-And-File — the guy Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware, Inc. fired from data entry — alleges that the company terminated him because he’s disabled. I’ll show you after the jump.…

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Third Circuit Employment Law 101: ADA Defenses – Direct Threat

Can an employer terminate a disabled employee because accommodating the employee would create a significant risk of substantial harm to the employee or others in the workplace? Yes. This is called the “direct threat” defense. To meet its burden, however, the employer must prove the following two elements by a…