Today’s case is Severson v. Heartland Woodcraft, Inc., a case from the Seventh Circuit decided September 20, 2017. The blogosphere has lit up with it, and I thought I could add my own spin to it even though several bloggers have done a real nice job talking about it. As is usual, the case
reasonable accommodation
Fair Housing Act, Emotional Support Animals, and Service Dogs: Noncompliance Can Cost You Big Time
I was giving serious consideration to blogging on Stragapede v. City of Evanston, Illinois. After all, it isn’t very far from where I grew up, and I have all kinds of family connections to Northwestern University. So, I spent a lot of time in Evanston, including attending many a Northwestern University athletic event. However,…
Medical Marijuana and the ADA: Interactive Process is Everything
Last week the legal blog world lit up with the case of Barbuto v. Advantage Sales and Marketing, LLC, a decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Court on July 17, 2017. Both of my fellow panelists, Robin Shea and Jonathan Hyman, on our ADA and employment issues panel at the Federal Bar Association convention in…
Failure to Accommodate Employee Nuggets
Obviously, I missed a blog entry last week. I have a good excuse. My daughter’s bat mitzvah was July 8. While the bat mitzvah and the reception and everything else went great (she did a great job!), the hangover was considerable. Once the hangover subsided, I had a client matter to attend to. However, I…
The Interactive Process
Here, in Decatur, Georgia, and for that matter in the Atlanta metropolitan area generally, kids start school very early and end very early. In Decatur’s case, they start school the first Monday in August and end right before Memorial Day. So, next week my daughter starts summer vacation. She is in for a pretty busy…
Honest Belief Rule
Today’s case, to DeWitt v. Southwestern Bell Telephone Company deals with the honest belief rule. This rule allows an employer to justify a termination if it honestly believes its reason for doing so was valid regardless of whether it actually was. As is usual, the blog entry is divided into categories: facts; court’s reasoning; and…
Mandatory Reassignment yet Again, Rule 59(E), EEOC Legal Malpractice?, And Other Matters
I know I said that last week’s blog entry would be my last substantive blog entry of the year, but events can always happen to change my mind. Recently, the 11th Circuit came down with a published decision on December 7, 2016, in EEOC v. St. Joseph’s Hospital, Inc. , which has several issues…
Just What Does Qualified/Otherwise Qualified Mean Anyway?
Today‘s blog entry comes from the Sixth Circuit and it reminds us of the following: 1) job descriptions must be kept current; 2) essential functions of the job must reflect the reality of how the job is performed; 3) whether a person is a qualified person with a disability under the ADA depends upon whether…
When It Comes To Handling Reasonable Accommodation Requests, Preventive Law Is the Whole Ballgame
As you are aware, I missed a blog entry last week. I do have an explanation. At the beginning of the week, I was faced with a deadline for getting a complaint out. No, I don’t usually draft one myself, but this was an extraordinary situation. At the end of the week I had a…
EEOC Guidance on Employer-Provided Leave and the ADA
First off, I want to thank everyone who voted for me for the 2016 ABA blog 100. It has been two years in a row for Understanding the ADA, and I am keeping my fingers crossed for a third. Thanks again everyone!
Turning to the topic of the week, about a week or so ago…