Supervisors sometimes say things they should never say. When that happens, employers usually brace for impact. But this case shows how strong documentation and independent decision-making can prevent one person’s bad behavior from controlling the outcome. Continue reading
Led Zeppelin was decades ahead of the ADA, but “good times, bad times” captures exactly how episodic disabilities can look in the workplace. Some employees have great days. Others have rough days. Most have both. And under the ADA, those fluctuating limitations still count. A recent Sixth Circuit decision shows why employers cannot ignore an employee’s bad days just because the good ones look fine. Continue reading
A Detroit nonprofit employee said the air in her office made her sick after a flood. She claimed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) let her work from home instead. Her doctor agreed she should avoid mold but never said she couldn’t come in. After a short remote stint, she returned to full-time, in-person work. A year later, she turned down a contractor role and sued. The Sixth Circuit said the employer handled it exactly right. Continue reading
A recent Eleventh Circuit decision highlights that offering reassignment instead of extending medical leave can be a reasonable accommodation under the ADA when the reassignment fits the employee’s restrictions and the circumstances. The court said the employer acted lawfully by offering another available position rather than more leave, which the employee declined. Continue reading
Most accommodation cases start with an employee asking to stay home.
This one features the rare unicorn: a disabled worker who fought for the right to come in. Continue reading
The same unpaid leave that protects an employer in one case can create liability in another. Continue reading
Employers often worry that if they don’t run a picture-perfect investigation, a court will second-guess their decision. The Sixth Circuit just reminded everyone that the law doesn’t demand perfection; it demands reasonableness. And one employer’s measured, fact-based approach was enough to win. Continue reading
Anxiety, grievances, and open-ended leave requests can leave HR stuck between compassion and compliance. A federal appellate court just clarified what the ADA does, and does not, require. Continue reading
Missing narcotics. A dazed nurse. Co-workers whispering. A trip to the ER. It sounds like the plot of a medical drama, but it was the real backdrop for a recent Seventh Circuit employment case. The outcome offers lessons for every employer, not just hospitals. Continue reading
Sometimes it is not the big-ticket accommodations that land an employer in court. It is the small ones, like a few stretch breaks, that can become costly mistakes. Continue reading
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