Category: Reasonable Accommodation
Belief in the Flying Spaghetti Monster Does Not Confer Religious Protections Under the Law
On Monday, Stephen comes into work dressed like a pirate. As his employer, you think this is strange, and maybe pushing the limits of the dress code, but there are other more important things on your plate, so you decide to deal with it later. On Tuesday, Stephen is...
Hospital Shows Undue Hardship in Permitting Employee who Refused Influenza Vaccination to Maintain Patient-Care Position
Earlier this month, a District of Massachusetts court issued an opinion which held in part that that a hospital's refusal to permit an employee to maintain a patient-care position after refusing an influenza vaccination on account of religious beliefs was proper. The plaintiff in the matter was an administrative...
Ba Rump Pa Pum Whaaaa?: Little Drummer Boy and the Out-of-Date Minimum Lifting Requirements
When was the last time you reviewed the "minimum lifting requirements" in your job descriptions? In several cases this year, courts have looked skeptically at job requirements listed in an employer's job description. Specifically, judges have not been willing to take the employer's word for it that lifting, say...
Only a Hippopotamus Will Do: "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" and Employee Requests for Service Animal Accommodations
Because of how often we hear from clients regarding requests for "emotional support" animals to accompany employees to work, we figured a refresher on how to handle these types of situations would be appreciated. While we do not expect many employees to request to bring a "service hippo" to...
Every Holiday Has Food So Special: The Latke Song and Food Allergies in the Workplace
Debbie Friedman's "The Latke Song" has a wonderful message regarding remembering those who are less fortunate than ourselves during the holiday season—as told through the point of view of a potato who is turning into a latke. As a "foodie" living in an " amazing food city " food...
Excuse Me . . . I “Tooted”: Flatulance and the ADA
My four-year-old spent the vast majority of the weekend publically announcing (louder than her grandparents and I would have preferred) "excuse me I tooted" every time she passed gas—which considering her petite frame and refusal to eat a vast majority of foods, occurred much more often than I would...
In the Name of Religion
No matter the faith or belief, religion makes its way into the work environment more often than one would expect. This week's headlines serve as a prime example of that. Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to sign marriage licenses after the Supreme Court's legalization of same-sex marriage...
Wacky Wednesday: Fear and Loathing in Elementary Education
Last week, the Sixth Circuit ruled that a former Ohio public school teacher who was suffering from pedophobia (the fear of young children), had not presented an Americans with Disabilities Act or Age Discrimination Claim. The Plaintiff requested the school district accommodate Plaintiff's disability, pedophobia, by transferring her from...
New Hampshire Decision Clarifies Accommodation Request Threshold and Reminds Employers of Importance of Manager Training
On December 29, 2014, the District of New Hampshire issued a decision denying Summary Judgment and allowing a claim under the ADA to proceed to a jury after the former employee's supervisor stated: "Your Asperger's got in the way of your ability to interact with your boss, and we...
