Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Disability accommodation claims have long been among the most common workplace discrimination claims, but the recent increase has been unusually sharp. One major driver is telework as a requested reasonable accommodation. For employers managing return-to-office expectations, the practical question is whether there are lawful ways to evaluate, limit, modify, or deny telework requests when appropriate. […]
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) has quickly moved from “new law” to active enforcement priority. Effective June 27, 2023, the PWFA requires covered employers—generally those with 15 or more employees—to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation would impose […]
On April 15, 2024, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a press release announcing that its Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) regulations would be published in the Code of Federal Regulations in April and become effective in June. Starting last fall, the EEOC has jumped full into the enforcement of the PWFA regulations with […]
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 (PDA) makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against pregnant employees and requires reasonable accommodations for an employee’s known limitations related to pregnancy or childbirth. Let’s look at how the PDA and the PWFA affect employers who have pregnant employees. We’ll be using West Virginia’s version as an example, […]
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) prohibit an employer from discriminating against an individual who is (1) disabled within the statutes’ meaning and (2) qualified to perform the essential job functions with or without a reasonable accommodation. Once an employee discloses the need for a reasonable accommodation, […]
In March 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published web accessibility guidance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities and guarantees they will have the same ability as everyone else to enjoy opportunities, goods, and services. Although the guidance establishes the DOJ’s intentions to ensure websites are […]
The newest version of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is heading for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, where it passed with ease in 2020 but didn’t make it into law.
Kansas City, Missouri, is the latest jurisdiction to implement a “CROWN Act” ordinance, prohibiting discrimination based on natural hair types and hairstyles commonly associated with race and racial identity.
Over the last week, my husband and I have been grieving the loss of one of our most steadfast companions, someone with whom we spent hundreds of hours over the years but had never actually met. Sadly, Alex Trebek, the longtime host of “Jeopardy!,” passed away on November 8, 2020, after a battle with pancreatic […]
Fragrance or chemical sensitivities can cause a large number of health issues, including coughing, difficulty breathing, migraines, nausea, confusion, anxiety, skin irritation, and more. When someone is faced with symptoms like these as a direct result of irritants in the workplace, it’s only reasonable to try to do something about it.