EMPLOYMENT
Important Findings from the Job Accommodation Network
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that a new report finds that nearly half of workplace accommodations made for people with disabilities can be implemented at no cost to employers, and of those that do incur a one-time cost, the median expenditure has decreased when compared to previous reports to only $300.
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Hobby Lobby violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it failed to allow a part-time clerk at its Olathe, Kansas store to use her service dog on the job as a reasonable accommodation for her disabilities, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The company’s district manager and human resources decided, without any supporting evidence, the dog would present a safety issue, even though customers were permitted to bring service and pet dogs to the store. Hobby Lobby ultimately fired the clerk when she advised the company she could not work without her service dog.
New From the EEOC
The Pregnant Workers Fairness At will go into effect on June 27, 2023. The new law requires covered employers to provide "reasonable accommodations" to a worker's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.
