Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend, assuming you had a chance to have Martin Luther King Day off. Today’s case, United States v. Asare is a decision that came down on December 20, 2017, from the Southern District of New York. The lesson here is never forget about the interactive process and performing an
direct threat
NFL and the ADA
For those who are Jewish, I hope you had a nice high holiday season and best wishes on the coming new year.
Sometimes when you start a blog entry, you get all the way through it and realize that what you thought you were going to say turns out to be all crazy. So, you…
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…
ABA Legal Blawg 100, Essential Function, Direct Threat, Interactive Process, and Reassignment
Before moving on to today’s case, the nominations for the 2016 ABA legal blawgs 100 are now open. The nomination form can be found here. The deadline is August 7, which is this Sunday. It has been a distinct honor and privilege to be a member of this distinguished group for the last two…
Just What Is a Service Establishment Anyway?
Just what is a service establishment under title III of the ADA? A published case from the 10th Circuit that came down on July 12, 2016, Levorsen v. Octapharma Plasma, Inc., deals with this question. As is usual, the blog entry is divided into categories: facts, 42 U.S.C. § 12181(7)(F); majority reasoning; reasoning…
Addiction/Perceived Addiction in the Workplace; the View from the Sixth Circuit
Today’s case is a case out of the Sixth Circuit, Ferrari v. Ford Motor Company, decided June 23, 2016. It deals with the issue of what happens when an employer perceives an opioid addiction. As is typical, my blog entry is divided into categories: facts; court’s reasoning; and takeaways. The reader is free to…
Is an Underlying Condition Required for Obesity Being Protected under the ADA?
The labor and employment blogosphere, see this excellent blog entry of Robin Shea and another excellent, and always provocative, blog entry from Richard Hunt for examples, have been talking about a recent case from the Eighth Circuit holding that obesity by itself is not a disability under the ADA. Normally, if a bunch of people…
Does an ASL Interpreter Mean that Person is Doing the Essential Functions of Another’s Job and Other Matters
This case was pointed out to me by a member of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bar Association, of which I am a member, on its facebook page, which is where most of the communication for the Association occurs. This case raises several interesting issues: 1. Does hiring a person to be an ASL…
Current User of Illegal Drugs Does Not Mean Actual Use When It Comes to a Recovering Addict
I am back to my Monday postings. In my latest article, just published by the ABA GPSolo magazine, I discussed the legal parameters that an employer is faced with when it comes to dealing with an employee addicted to the Internet. This week’s case continues that line of thought, albeit with respect to alcohol…
Direct Threat “Affirmative Defense”: Just What Is the Trier of Fact Supposed to Determine?
This week’s topic came to my attention from Don Davis of the Noble law firm. The question is just what is the trier of fact supposed to determine when it comes to the “affirmative defense,” of direct threat? As is my usual, the blog entry is divided into several categories: history of direct threat; facts;…