Welcome to our new Disability, Leave & Health Management Blog. Most would agree that  health and family are the most precious things in life. Most employers recognize this but, as the saying goes, they “have a business to run.” In this blog, we hope to confront some of the more thorny legal and practical issues employers face when managing issues involving employee health, attendance, leave and family responsibilities. Most will involve issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII), the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and analogous state and local laws.

We will try to keep you engaged as courts and federal agencies weigh in on the meaning of reasonable accommodation, the obligations to provide medical leaves, and legal restrictions governing wellness and health promotion programs, medical privacy, and workplace injury prevention efforts. We will strive to keep you informed about significant pieces of proposed legislation, articles or events, such as the recent White House Forum on Workplace Flexibility, that may reshape how we work together in the 21st Century workplace.

So much is happening so fast in the fascinating world of work. We all need to pay attention and have our say about the direction in which this important law should develop. We hope you enjoy our posts and, if you get a chance, send us an email to let us know what you think.

Stay well!

– Frank Alvarez