Law and the Workplace

Tag Archives: reasonable accommodation

EEOC Issues Updated “Capstone” Guidance on COVID-19 After Declaration of End of Public Health Emergency

By Evandro Gigante, Laura Fant and David Gobel on Posted in Coronavirus, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Workplace Policies and Procedures
CoronovirusOn May 15, 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) released updates to its “technical assistance” on COVID-19-related discrimination concerns in the workplace. The updated guidelines come in response to President Biden recently signing legislation that ended the COVID-19 National Emergency. EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows called this installment of “the capstone to our comprehensive … Continue Reading

EEOC Releases Updated Guidance on ADA Requirements for Individuals with Hearing Disabilities in the Workplace

By Evandro Gigante, Laura Fant and Alisha Bruce on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
Key Takeaways Individuals with a variety of hearing conditions may have disabilities covered by the ADA. Pre-job offer disability-related questions can violate the ADA, but certain questions regarding the ability of a candidate to perform the essential functions of the role may be permissible. Employers have a duty to provide accommodations for job applicants and … Continue Reading

EEOC Issues Additional Guidance on Religious Objections to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

By Evandro Gigante and Alex Downie on Posted in Coronavirus
On October 25, the EEOC issued updated and expanded guidance regarding the obligations of employers under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”) when an employee presents with a religious objection to a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. The guidance builds upon prior EEOC guidance regarding COVID-19 vaccinations in the employment context. … Continue Reading

EEOC Updates Its COVID-19 Guidance

By Caralyn M. Olie and Harris Mufson on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Coronavirus, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
On June 17, 2020, the EEOC issued additional, revised technical assistance to employers, specifically addressing necessary considerations for employers that have employees returning to the workplace who are at higher risk for more severe illness due to COVID-19. This update supplemented the agency’s earlier guidance regarding best practices for diagnostic testing of employees, and the … Continue Reading

New York City Extends Human Rights Law Protections and Training Requirements to Freelancers and Independent Contractors

By Arielle E. Kobetz, Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
NYC Commission on Human RightsEffective January 11, 2020, the New York City Human Rights Law (“NYCHRL”) has been amended to expand protections under the law to freelancers and independent contractors.  Significantly, this includes the requirement that certain contractors now complete annual sexual harassment prevention training in the same manner as covered employees.  Contractors also are now eligible for reasonable … Continue Reading

New York State to Require Reasonable Accommodation for Victims of Domestic Violence

By Arielle E. Kobetz, Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Leave of absence formNew York Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed into law amendments to the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) that expand protections for employees who are victims of domestic violence.  The amendments will take effect on November 18, 2019. While the NYSHRL has long prohibited discrimination against victims of domestic violence, the amendments expressly state … Continue Reading

New York City “Cooperative Dialogue” Law for Employees Seeking Reasonable Accommodation Takes Effect October 15

By Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Supervisor and colleague discussionNew York City’s new law requiring employers to engage in a “cooperative dialogue” with employees requesting reasonable accommodation and provide a written determination at the end of the cooperative dialogue process takes effect on October 15, 2018. As we have previously reported, while the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) has long required that … Continue Reading

Illinois Expands Workplace Protections for Breastfeeding Employees

By Laura Fant and Steven J. Pearlman on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Wage and Hour, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Governor Bruce Rauner has signed into law a bill that expands protections for employees needing to express breast milk in the workplace.  The law amends the preexisting Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act (the “Act”) in several significant ways—most notably that break time provided for the expression of milk “may not reduce an employee’s compensation” … Continue Reading

7th Circuit Holds Long-Term Leave Is Not a Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA

By Alex Weinstein and Steven J. Pearlman on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Leaves of Absences
Leave of absence formIn a recent decision in Severson v. Heartland Woodcraft, Inc. (Sept. 20, 2017), the Seventh Circuit affirmed a district court’s ruling that an employer did not violate the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide an employee with a long-term medical leave of absence.  Indeed, the court found that “a long-term leave of absence … Continue Reading

Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Becomes Law

By Mark W. Batten and Samantha Regenbogen Manelin on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Workplace Policies and Procedures
On July 27, 2017 Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“MPWFA”), a bill which had unanimously passed in both the House and Senate. As discussed previously, the MPWFA (formerly H. 3816) ensures that pregnant workers or workers with pregnancy-related conditions (such as nursing) receive reasonable accommodations and protection … Continue Reading

Connecticut Expands Anti-Discrimination and Accommodation Protections for Pregnant Employees and Applicants

By Keisha-Ann Gray and Laura Fant on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
Earlier this month, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has signed into law “An Act Concerning Pregnant Women in the Workplace” (the “Act”), which enhances employment protections for pregnant employees and applicants under the state’s existing anti-discrimination law. The expanded protections amend the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act (“CFEPA”) and will go into effect October 1, 2017. … Continue Reading

Eleventh Circuit Holds the ADA Does Not Mandate Reassignment Without Competition or Preferential Treatment

By Minia Bremenstul and Nicole Eichberger on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
In EEOC v. St. Joseph’s Hospital, the Eleventh Circuit recently held that the reasonable accommodation standard under the ADA “only requires an employer allow a disabled person to compete equally with the rest of the world for a vacant position” as a reasonable accommodation, and employers are not required to reassign a disabled employee into … Continue Reading

EEOC Issues Publication on Rights of Applicants and Employees with Mental Health Conditions Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

By Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation
EEOC sealThe EEOC has issued a new publication titled “Depression, PTSD & Other Mental Health Conditions in the Workplace: Your Legal Rights” aimed at informing applicants and employees with mental health conditions of their employment rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). The publication presents a series of questions and answers regarding applicants’ and employees’ … Continue Reading

U.S. Supreme Court Holds Failure to Accommodate Religion May Be Evidence of Intentional Discrimination

By Katharine Parker on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Today the U.S. Supreme Court held in favor of the EEOC in EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch Store Stores, Inc. The EEOC claimed that Abercrombie violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) by refusing to hire a Muslim applicant who wears a headscarf for religious reasons.  The decision, penned by … Continue Reading

No End In Sight For Wave of Paid Family and Sick Leave Laws

By Katharine Parker on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Leaves of Absences, Wage and Hour, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Employers have been scrambling to keep up with the multitude of paid sick leave laws that were passed in the last several years.  These laws vary by jurisdiction and often can’t be easily reconciled into a uniform policy — an issue for multi-state employers.  As reported in today’s New York Times, President Obama is asking … Continue Reading

The Top 10 Trends in New Jersey Employment Law in 2014

By John Barry, Joseph O’Keefe, Matthew Engel and Daniel Saperstein on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Hiring/Background Checks, Leaves of Absences, Litigation and Arbitration, Performance Management, Discipline & Termination, Wage and Hour, Workplace Policies and Procedures
2014 was another busy year for developments in New Jersey employment law, including in ten key areas—whistleblowing, pre-employment inquiries/background checks, amendments to the Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”), LAD litigation, wage and hour, the Family Medical Leave Act, sick leave, states of emergency, arbitration, and “unemployment discrimination.”  Read our Top 10 newsletter to learn more about … Continue Reading

EEOC Publishes Advisory Letter On Use of Forms In the ADA Interactive Process

By Allan Weitzman and Joshua Stein on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Employers seeking to adopt standardized forms relating to the ADA’s interactive process need to familiarize themselves with a recently published EEOC advisory letter commenting on a sample policy, request for accommodation questionnaire, and health care provider questionnaire. While the advisory letter does not provide the exact policy and forms in question, the materials did provide … Continue Reading

Philadelphia Issues New Pregnancy & Employment Rights Notice

By Daniel Saperstein, Kelly Anne Targett and Marc A. Mandelman on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Philadelphia recently amended its fair employment practices ordinance to expand protection for employees against discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. Among other things, employers must provide a written notice of rights to all existing employees by April 20, 2014, and to all new hires thereafter. For more on the new ordinance, … Continue Reading

U.S. Department of Justice Increases Civil Penalties For Violations of Title III of the ADA

By Allan Weitzman and Joshua Stein on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation
On March 28, 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued a Final Rule increasing the amount of civil penalties available for violations of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).  The maximum civil penalty for a first violation of Title III increased from $55,000 to $75,000, with a new maximum for subsequent … Continue Reading

NY Court of Appeals Ruling Stresses the Need for Employers to Engage In and Document the Interactive Process

By Allan Weitzman and Joshua Stein on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Litigation and Arbitration, Workplace Policies and Procedures
The New York Court of Appeals’ recent decision in Jacobsen v. N.Y.C. Health & Hosps. Corp., No. 34, 2014 N.Y. LEXIS 570 (Mar. 27, 2014), stresses the need for employers responding to requests for accommodation by employees with disabilities to engage in a thoughtful, individualized, interactive process that it also well documented.  Failure by the … Continue Reading

EEOC Issues New Guidance on Religious Garb and Grooming in the Workplace

By Allan Weitzman, Fredric Leffler, Katharine Parker and Marc A. Mandelman on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Workplace Policies and Procedures
As religious discrimination charges have increased steadily, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released a new question-and-answer guide and accompanying fact sheet on religious dress and grooming in the workplace, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to improve employer awareness and compliance. The guide answers sample employers’ questions about how federal employment … Continue Reading

Philadelphia Latest to Protect Pregnancy, Require Reasonable Accommodation

By Daniel Saperstein, Katharine Parker, Kelly Anne Targett and Nicholas M. Tamburri on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Philadelphia recently amended the city’s fair practices ordinance to expand the protections against discrimination for employees based on pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. This alert examines the amendment, which took effect on January 20, 2014. Read the full text of this alert.… Continue Reading

Broad Definition of “Disability” Endorsed By Fourth Circuit

By Allan Weitzman, Carolyn Doppelt Gray, Fredric Leffler, Joshua Stein, Katharine Parker and Marc A. Mandelman on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Workplace Policies and Procedures
In its recently published opinion in Summers v. Altarum Institute, Corp., No. 13-1645, decided January 23, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit became the first federal appellate court to hold that a sufficiently severe temporary impairment may constitute a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 by applying the … Continue Reading
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