By Michael C. Addy and Pamela Vartabedian

Seyfarth Synopsis:  On January 17, 2023, the Tenth Circuit issued a decision in Norwood v. United Parcel Service .  The Tenth Circuit affirmed the trial court’s decision in favor of United Parcel Service (“UPS”), holding that the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) does not require employers to immediately tell employees of approved possible

Continue Reading “Concealing” Approved Accommodations? Tenth Circuit Finds it Does Not Violate the ADA in Certain Circumstances

By Erin Dougherty Foley and James Nasiri*

Seyfarth Synopsis: On February 18, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed a district court decision granting a municipal employer’s motion for summary judgment in a case brought by a former garbage man alleging race discrimination under Section 1983. The Court’s decision, which is rooted in the Town’s
Continue Reading First Circuit Sides with Employer in Race Discrimination Suit Brought by Former Garbage Man

By Jade M. Gilstrap and Alex S. Drummond

Seyfarth Synopsis: The D.C. Circuit recently revived a single-leg amputee’s claim that his former employer failed to accommodate his disability by refusing his request for a classroom aide. In reversing the lower court’s decision in part, the two-member panel found triable issues of fact existed regarding whether forcing the plaintiff to
Continue Reading Requiring Employees Seeking Reasonable Accommodations to “Feel the Burn” May Violate ADA

By Honore Hishamunda and Alex S. Drummond

Seyfarth Synopsis: Plaintiffs in disability discrimination cases often have sympathetic facts on their side. A recent decision out of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, however, highlighted that courts are tasked with applying the law in such cases even if doing so leads to a loss for a sympathetic
Continue Reading First Circuit Decision Underlines the Importance of Law Over Sympathetic Facts in Disability Discrimination Cases

By Kelsey P. Montgomery

Seyfarth Synopsis: Employee committed to taking opioids loses his job and his disability discrimination lawsuit because he refused to consider alternative pain management.

The “interactive process” required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, is a two-way street between an employee and his or her employer.  Consistent with
Continue Reading Employees are ALSO Required to Engage in the Interactive Process Under the ADA

By Ariel D. Fenster

Seyfarth Synopsis: The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that telecommuting can be a reasonable accommodation under the ADA when the employee is able to perform the essential functions of the position remotely and the request is for a finite period. Mosby-Meachem v. Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division, No 17-5483 (6th Cir.
Continue Reading “A Telecommute Dispute” – What is a Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA?

By John P. Phillips

Seyfarth Synopsis: Complying with the ADA, particularly when an employee has a mental health-related disability, can be challenging. Fortunately, a recent decision out of the Seventh Circuit provides helpful guidance for employers struggling to accommodate employees with mental health issues while at the same time maintaining safe and productive workplaces. The decision makes clear that in
Continue Reading Rock and a [Softer] Hard Place: Seventh Circuit Eases the Burden for Accommodating Employees with Mental Health Disabilities

By Rachel Hoffer, John P. Phillips and Mahek Bhojani

Seyfarth Synopsis: In a recent win for employers, the Fifth Circuit clarified that opened-ended or unlimited requests to work from home are unreasonable under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and may be rejected during the interactive process. In addition, the Court instructed lower courts to give preference over other
Continue Reading Fifth Circuit Says Regular Attendance at Work is an Essential Function of Most Jobs