Tag: accommodation

It Depends: The Top 3 Inherently Gray Areas of Employment Law

Barnes Thornburg

Fact-specific.

 Case by case.

 These are just two of the terms that stand for one of the frustrating (for employers) truths of many areas of employment law:  there are few black and white answers. There are endless shades of gray, and in honor of this week’s letter of the law (G), we recognize three common gray areas and some specific questions that must be asked when addressing situations under each. The fact that there are so many questions that need to be answered under each explains why they are gray areas!

The Letter G

1. Is a noncompete agreement enforceable?

  • What duties did the employee perform for the previous employer?

  • What duties is the employee performing for the new employer?

  • Did the employee engage in any underhanded behavior while still employed by the previous employer (such as copying confidential documents)?

  • What have been the previous employer’s practices and track record in enforcing noncompetes in the past?

  • What state’s law does the agreement say will apply?

  • What state is the employee located in now?

  • Does the contract specify where any disputes must be litigated?

2. Does an employer have to provide a particular reasonable accommodation under the disability discrimination laws?

  • What efforts have been made to communicate with the employee about the situation?

  • Has the employee been cooperative in responding to inquiries?

  • Do you have a medical assessment of the employee’s ability to perform his/her job?

  • Do you trust that assessment (or do we think the physician’s assistant filled it out the way the employer wanted him/her to)?

  • How unique are the employee’s job duties?

  • What are the job duties?

  • Which job duties do you thing are not being adequately performed?

  • Do you question the employee’s efforts in attempting to work, or do you think the employee is to any degree malingering?

3. Is a worker an independent contractor or an employee?

  • Is there any written agreement with the worker?

  • Are there are other workers performing the same or similar tasks, and are they considered employees or contractors?

  • How much direction is the worker receiving from the company on the details of performing tasks?

  • Does the worker provide services for other companies?

  • Is the worker full time or close to it for your company?

  • Does the worker provide any or all of the tools need to perform his/her work?

  • How long has the worker been working for your company?

These issues are like snowflakes. With so many questions (and these are not intended to be exhaustive lists), no two sets of answers will be exactly alike. That can be frustrating, because it is easier to administer rules with clearer thresholds: Two weeks of vacation. No flip flops at work. The work day is 8:30 to 5:00 with a half hour lunch break at noon. Those rules are usually pretty easy. Like it or not, though, what employment lawyers and employers spend most of their time on are the snowflakes, and carefully working through the situations to manage them as cost-effectively as possible.

What gray areas are you spending your time on this week?

ARTICLE BY

William A. Nolan
 
OF
Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Difficult Situation Know-How: What To Do If an Employee Seems Suicidal

Steptoe Johnson PLLC Law Firm

As people in the world, we face difficult situations all the time.  If someone seems sad or depressed, we may want to help but not know how.  When it’s your employee who is going through tough times, you may have legal concerns to worry about too.  It’s good to be as prepared as possible beforehand.  For example, let’s imagine that one of your employees seems depressed and starts making comments around the workplace about hurting him or herself.

A condition causing an employee to become suicidal may be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).  In that case, it would be an unlawful discriminatory practice to take adverse employment actions based on the employee’s condition, and the employee may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation.  If an employee makes a statement or does something that causes you to think that he or she may be suicidal, it is best to initially address the situation under the assumption that the employee has a condition covered under the ADA.

The first thing to do is to have a private conversation with the employee.  Do not ask if the employee has a medical condition.  Rather, ask the employee if there is anything you or the company can do to help.  You can also ask if anything at work is causing or contributing to the employee’s problem and ask if the employee has any ideas for what could change at work to help.  If the employee has reasonable requests for accommodation, then accommodate the employee. Later, follow up with the employee to ensure that the accommodation helped the problem.  If not, it may be time to seek advice from your attorney to determine whether the employee is suffering from a condition covered by the ADA.

Be sure to document this entire process: keep written documentation of (1) the employee’s complaint(s), (2) that you asked how you could help, (3) that you did not ask whether the employee has any medical conditions, (4) that the employee suggested a certain accommodation, (5) that you provided the accommodation, and (6) that you followed up with the employee to see if the accommodation worked.  Keep this documentation confidential.

Although you generally do not want to ask about whether the employee has a medical condition (such as depression), you can listen if the employee brings personal problems up and wishes to talk about them.  It’s better not to offer advice, but you can offer hope that the employee will find a solution to his or her problems.  You can also let the employee know that counseling is available, for instance, through an Employee Assistance Program, a crisis intervention or suicide prevention resource in your community, or a suicide-prevention hotline. Be careful not to pressure the employee or to imply that counseling is required or in any way a penalty.  Again, keep your conversation confidential.

As a final note, the only time it may be alright to ask your employee whether they have a medical condition is when asking is job-related and consistent with business necessity.  For example, this may be the case when the employee’s ability to perform essential job functions is impaired because of the condition or when the employee poses a direct threat.  However, it is a good idea to consult your attorney before making such an inquiry as it can be fraught with legal perils.

ARTICLE BY

Kaitlin L. Hillenbrand
OF
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC