The ADA and Leave Policies - Don't Get Burned!!

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported that Interstate Distributor Company, a trucking firm, agreed to pay $4.85 million to settle a lawsuit alleging pattern and practice violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Read the EEOC’s press release here.  According to Interstate’s policy, if an employee, after exhausting 12 weeks of leave needed additional leave time Interstate automatically terminated them rather than determining if it would be reasonable to provide additional leave as an accommodation.  Under this policy, if an employee had restrictions, Interstate refused to allow them to return to work and failed to determine if there were reasonable accommodations that would allow the employee to return to work with restrictions. Interstate’s leave policy stated that employees on leave were automatically terminated after exhausting 12 weeks of leave unless they were able to return to full-duty work without limitation.  

This is a pretty straight forward policy – easy to administer; no discretion, objective on its face.  So, what’s the problem?

The EEOC charged that Interstate violated federal law by refusing to make exceptions to this "no restrictions" policy.  That’s the problem.  The EEOC holds the position that employers must make an individualized determination for each employee that has exhausted a leave of absence as to whether the employee can return to work with or without reasonable accommodation for a disability. The EEOC has been successfully pursuing this legal theory in court.  Enforcement of ADA claims remains a high priority for the EEOC and systematic violations, i.e., widespread or pursuant to employer’s policy or practice, are of special interest. 

Bottom Line  Employers would be wise to have their employee handbooks, policies and procedures reviewed and updated regularly to confirm that they are in compliance with the law.  Employers should have attendance policies and practices that address how reasonable accommodations will be provided – acknowledging that for paid or unpaid leave might be a reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities.  Employers should also routinely provide EEO training for their managers and human resources personnel to insure that understanding and appropriate implementation of policies and procedures.  

Please contact the law office of Joycelyn McGeachy-Kuls if you're facing this issue or have any questions or visit our website at jmkuls.com for more information.