Last Wednesday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that the Americans With Disabilities Act (“ADA”) does not require employers to provide additional unpaid leave as an accommodation to employees who have expended their Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) leave. Although the Seventh Circuit’s ruling upheld its prior decision in Byrne v. Avon Productions Inc., the decision is significant because it directly contradicts the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”)’s position that granting additional, long-term unpaid leave to employees is a reasonable accommodation under the ADA.
The days of the “one size fits all” job application may soon be coming to an end. As federal, state, and local governments increasingly heighten employer hiring process requirements, national employers must be diligent to avoid getting tripped up by the varying rules across different locations. This post will discuss three hiring requirements that are increasingly leaving companies exposed to risk.
Leave accommodations can be a complicated issue for a company’s human resources and legal teams. The EEOC, however, recently issued guidance discussing leave as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The guidance serves as a good reference on the EEOC’s stance on several complex accommodation issues, and clarifies the EEOC’s views on equal access to leave, granting additional unpaid leave as an accommodation, and maximum leave policies. In light of the recent guidance, now is a good time to review your company policies.
On May 16, 2016, the EEOC issued two final rules that describe how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) apply to corporate wellness programs offered by employers. These two rules address incentives that employers may offer, as well as related confidentiality issues. How healthy is your company’s wellness program in light of these new rules?
 It’s a new year, and some of your employees may have resolved to lose weight, eat more healthfully, or even give up smoking in 2016. But employees aren’t the only ones interested in their own health and wellness. Corporate wellness programs can be an effective way for employers to encourage healthy behavior from their workforce while saving costs on health care premiums.