With the passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), the law on how you accommodate pregnant workers changed last June, and we blogged about it. Then the EEOC issued extensive regulations last August, and we blogged about that. In every state but Louisiana and Mississippi, those regulations went into full effect on June 18
Reasonable Accommodations
No Dog Days This Summer: In Howard v. City of Sedalia, the Eighth Circuit Clarifies the Scope of Reasonable Accommodations Again
What accommodations are reasonable under the ADA? Employers are required to provide modifications or adjustments that enable a job applicant to be considered for a position. Beyond the application process, employers must also make modifications to the work environment so that a disabled individual can perform the essential functions of the position. In some cases…
It’s the Final Countdown – The Final PWFA Regs Are Here
It has been a long road to this point, but the final Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) regulations are here. We first blogged in early 2023 about the PWFA, which became effective in June 2023, and again last August when the EEOC published the lengthy draft regulations, and we encouraged you to comment. The…
Get Interactive! Searching for ADA Accommodations with Employees
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. To help determine effective accommodations, employers should use an “interactive process,” which simply means that employers and employees with disabilities who request accommodations work together to brainstorm accommodations. While it’s not a per se requirement, the law favors…
Curse Words and Customer Service: Sixth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Tourette Syndrome ADA Claim
If an individual’s disability causes involuntary racist or profane utterances, what would a reasonable accommodation under the ADA look like? In Cooper v. Dolgencorp, LLC, the Sixth Circuit faced just such an inquiry.
ADA Primer
The ADA protects a qualified individual with a disability who can perform the essential functions of his or her…
Out with the Old? Not So Fast! A Quick Review of 2023 Highlights
2023 has brought many updates and changes to the legal landscape. Our blog posts have covered many of them, but you may not remember (or care to remember) them. Before moving on to 2024, let’s take a moment to review our top five blog posts from the year and the key takeaways from each.
Vax
…ADA Speed Bump Ahead: Steer Clear of Eliminating Essential Functions
When is driving an essential function of a job? What if the employee drives herself to customers’ homes to provide services and now wants to use alternative modes of transportation? What if the employee’s request is because of a disability? A recently filed case, EEOC v. Alternate Solutions Health Network, et al., tees up…
Holidays and Happier at Work: Tips for Creating a Mentally Healthy Workplace
First and foremost, happy holidays. The Bradley team wishes you all a joyous and restful holiday season. Also, thank you to everyone who joined in for the Fourth Quarter Breakfast with Bradley. For those of you who missed it, we talked about ways to improve mental health in the workplace. You can find the recording…
Happy Anniversary! New Guide for the Rehabilitation Act
Last week, on the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act — which prohibits disability discrimination by federal contractors and other programs receiving federal funds — the EEOC and Department of Labor issued a resource guide for recruiting, hiring, and employing individuals with disabilities. The resource guide provides a helpful synopsis of the Rehabilitation Act’s…
Extra, Extra, Read All About the PWFA Regs
We promised to keep you updated with the EEOC’s proposed regulations for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PFWA). Per its website, the EEOC is publishing the proposed regulation on August 11, 2023, and you have until October 10 to provide input.
A Note Regarding Public Comment
Earlier this week, the EEOC posted a Notice…