An amputee’s request for work breaks to adjust his prosthesis may be a request for an accommodation under the ADA, according to a federal district court. Morton v. Cooper Tire & Rubber (N.D. MS, June 18, 2013). The employee was training to operate a machine which ran for twelve hour shifts. To complete the training
accommodation
Denying Request to Change Worksite Supports ADA Constructive Discharge Claim
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in ADA
A plaintiff’s claim that she was constructively discharged because her employer refused to transfer her to an office closer to the place where she received therapy to deal with the pain caused by her arthritis has survived her employer’s motion to dismiss.
The plaintiff worked in the home office of a child welfare agency. She…
Mammography Tech with Epilepsy Unqualified under ADA Because Unconscious During Seizures
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in ADA
A mammography tech with epilepsy is not a qualified individual with a disability under the ADA because she cannot perform the essential functions of her job "during the indefinite periods in which she was incapacitated," according to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Olsen v. Capital Region Medical Center (8th Cir. May 7, 2013). We…
EEOC Issues Revised Guidance on ADA’s Application to Certain Disabilities
By Joseph J. Lynett on
Posted in ADA
On May 15, 2013, the EEOC issued revised “Q & A” documents addressing how the ADA applies to job applicants and employees with cancer, diabetes, epilepsy and learning disabilities. http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/5-15-13.cfm
Each of the revised Q & A documents also answers questions about topics such as: when an employer may obtain medical information from applicants and…
ADA Claim Dismissed Even Though Absences Caused by Disability
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An employer lawfully terminated an employee pursuant to an attendance policy that did not distinguish between absences for medical reasons and other reasons, according to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Basden v. Professional Transportation, Inc. (7th Cir. May 8, 2013). Some of the plaintiff’s absences were due to the onset and symptoms of her…
Arriving to Work on Time Might Not be An Essential Job Function under ADA
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in ADA
Arriving to work on time might not be an essential function if the late employee would still be able to complete his work in a timely manner, according to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. McMillan v. City of New York (2nd Cir. March 4, 2013).
The plaintiff, a case manager for NYC’s Human Resources…
And Yet Another Multi-Million ADA Settlement Involving an Inflexible Leave Policy
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in ADA
There was this one, this one, and now yet another multi-million dollar settlement with the EEOC involving allegations that an employer had an inflexible leave policy. The EEOC announced that Dillard’s had agreed to pay $2 million as part of a consent decree to resolve the agency’s allegations relating to the company’s medical…
Temporary and Rotating Position Not “Vacant” for Purposes of ADA’s Accommodation of Last Resort
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in ADA
We haveposted previously about the ADA’s “accommodation of last resort”: when an employee cannot perform the essential functions of his or her position, with or without an accommodation, due to a disability, an employer must consider transferring the employee to a vacant lateral or lower position for which the employee is qualified.
Whether a …
Vegan Fired for Refusing Flu Vaccine Can Pursue Religious Discrimination Claim
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Is vegan-ism a moral and ethical belief or a social philosophy or dietary preference, and what does this question have to do with disability, health and leave management at work?
It starts with the flu and, in particular, a hospital’s requirement that all employees get a flu shot. Some health care employers have such a…
ADA Accommodation of Last Resort Heading to Court of Last Resort Again?
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in ADA
We posted previously about the Seventh Circuit holding in EEOC v. United Airlines that, in deciding whether a disabled employee who cannot perform the essential functions of his or her position is entitled to a vacant position as an accommodation under the ADA, the employer must disregard its policy of awarding positions to the best-qualified…