Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Workers who contract COVID-19 can be protected from discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to new Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance, issued on December 14, 2021.
When an employer is sued for discrimination and decides to settle the case, the details are confidential. When the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sues an employer, however, the settlement is very public and includes a press release giving details about the resolution. Recently, the EEOC announced a settlement with a Winston-Salem company in a […]
Pandemic-related and political shifts regarding Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the part that prohibits employer discrimination, have occurred over the last few years. Read on to learn what you need to know about (1) long-haul COVID-19 and disability discrimination and (2) the Biden administration’s approach to gender discrimination.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, many people have caught (or know others who have contracted) the virus. Most who recover from the infection do so within a couple weeks or shortly thereafter. For some, however, the symptoms have persisted for months after contracting the illness. The condition has become so common it’s now dubbed as […]
Major depressive disorder affects many Americans. In 2017, about seven percent of U.S. adults endured at least one major depressive episode, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. When the depressive episodes occur at work, they can create tough HR challenges. On May 27, 2021, the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers […]
If disabled employees can’t be reasonably accommodated in their current job, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires you to consider reassigning them to a vacant position they are qualified to perform. Under the Act, however, reassignment isn’t a preferred accommodation. As the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals emphasized in a recent case, you […]
Regular attendance at the worksite can be an essential job function, the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Minnesota employers) recently reminded employers, upholding the termination of an employee who had violated the employer’s attendance policy. As a result, the former employee can no longer pursue her Americans with Disabilities […]
A recent decision by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio illustrates the relatively low bar an employee must clear to proceed with a regarded-as-disabled claim. Facts Douglas McGonegle worked for Sleep Number, a mattress and sleep accessory store, as an at-will employee (that is, he could be fired at any time […]
Have you ever wondered if alcoholism may be covered as a disability? If you have, you’re not alone. This topic can be perplexing for anyone learning about Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifics, especially with how they pertain to current or previous drug or alcohol use.
Almost 2 years ago, a three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Kansas employers) had ruled employees can’t sue the employer for failing to provide a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) unless they can prove some additional adverse employment action. The full 10th Circuit recently revisited […]