Tag: ADA accommodation

EEOC issues new guidance on leave of absence and ADA accommodations

by Paige Hoster Good On May 9, 2016, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a new guidance document addressing the intersection of employer-provided leave of absence and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This document doesn’t create any new EEOC agency policy or propose any new law. Rather, it consolidates current guidance on the […]

EEOC aids national strategy to protect workers with HIV/AIDS

by Natalie B. Virden In 2010, the White House issued a National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States (NHAS). One step identified in the NHAS is to reduce stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has been utilizing its enforcement and litigation functions in recent years in an […]

Passing on disabled candidates for safety reasons is risky business

by Erica E. Flores Election season can bring out the best and worst in our nation. The important issues that should be the focus sometimes take a backseat to headline-grabbing one-liners. But true leaders emerge at some point in nearly every campaign. It remains to be seen which of this cycle’s large group of presidential […]

Managing an injured employee

by Al Vreeland Few things create more headaches in the HR suite than an employee who is injured on the job and then resists returning to work. HR’s headaches are usually centered at the intersection of state workers’ compensation laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). A […]

Human Resources lessons from NFL preseason football: employees returning to work after cancer treatment

For fans of Southeastern Conference football (and, I mean, who isn’t, right?), the name “Eric Berry” is one you don’t easily forget. Berry made his presence known as a defensive back for the Tennessee Volunteers from 2007-2009. Even though he played only three seasons in college, he was twice named a Defensive All American by […]

Interactions with Asperger’s: Discrimination, wrongful discharge claims go to trial

Soon after an employee provided his employer with information about his Asperger’s syndrome, it informed him that his contract wouldn’t be renewed because “Your Asperger’s got in the way of your ability to interact with your boss, and we are tired of it.” Afterward, the employee brought claims of wrongful termination and discrimination under the […]

Activity trackers and wellness programs: high-tech help or privacy threat?

What if an employer interested in improving the health of its employees—and reducing its health insurance premiums—could slap a device on workers to show statistics on physical fitness? Not only could the people participating in an employer-sponsored wellness program track their own progress, the employer also could see just how hard participants in its program […]

How to respond to an employee who mentions suicide

by Kaitlin L. Hillenbrand Q One of our employees recently told the HR director that she “prays for death every night.” Is there anything we are legally required to do in response?  A A condition that causes an employee to become suicidal may be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In that case, […]

Solid job descriptions can ease ADA worries

Good job descriptions are vital in keeping employers and employees on the same page, but they take on added importance when an employee with a disability needs help being productive. And for employers facing disability discrimination claims, job descriptions that clearly outline the essential and nonessential functions of the job can be crucial.  Although the […]

Store needn’t accommodate F-bomb in aisle 7

by Kelly Smith-Haley Most employers know they have to make reasonable accommodations for an otherwise qualified employee with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). But you may not know that the task of determining what qualifies as a reasonable accommodation doesn’t fall solely on you. A recent court decision reminds employers and […]