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ADA

The right way to accommodate employees with diabetes

02/01/2007

The numbers are daunting: Diabetes affects about one in 14 Americans and it’s the fifth leading cause of death in the country. Almost 80 percent more diabetics are in the U.S. work force now than just a decade ago, and experts predict those numbers will rise. For employers, the twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity are eating into profits and creating legal land mines …

Warn bosses: Don’t speculate on workers’ medical limits

02/01/2007

Supervisors and HR professionals must avoid stereotyping employees who have medical problems and never make assumptions about workers’ abilities to perform the job. Making uninformed comments about physical ailments is a quick way to land in court …

Are overweight employees due ‘disability’ rights?

02/01/2007

Americans are a well-fed bunch, as statistics show, and now many overweight employees cite their extra baggage as a legally protected “disability.” The good news: Employees carry a heavy burden of proof, especially in the 2nd Circuit …

Skeptical of an employee’s ‘disability’? Ask for certification

02/01/2007

When an employee requests a work accommodation for a claimed disability, the ADA requires you to explore possible solutions with the worker. While you shouldn’t put off those discussions, first make sure the employee meets the ADA definition of “disabled,” thus entitling him or her to accommodation …

Indiana Workers’ Compensation Law

02/01/2007

The Indiana workers’ compensation system is designed to protect employees who are injured on the job by replacing lost wages while they recover. The Indiana Workers’ Compensation Board (www.in.gov/workcomp) administers the law. The system works as a no-fault guarantee …

Disabled Applicants

01/30/2007

HR Law 101: The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against qualified applicants on the basis of a physical or mental disability. The law allows you to ask about an applicant’s ability to perform a job’s essential functions but not about a specific disability …

Texas Public Information Act

01/15/2007

No specific Texas law allows private-sector employees access to their workplace personnel files, but the Texas Public Information Act does provide that right to public employees …

Georgia Code on Equal Employment for People With Disabilities

01/15/2007

Georgia’s code on equal employment for people with disabilities generally follows the federal ADA. The code guarantees to disabled individuals the right to full participation in the social and economic life of the state and lawful employment without discrimination because of a handicap …

Pennsylvania Medical Pay Act

01/15/2007

The Pennsylvania Medical Pay Act requires employers to bear the costs of employee medical examinations when those exams are a condition of employment …

Ohio’s Employee Leave Laws

01/15/2007

Ohio employers must contend with an assortment of leave laws in addition to the federal FMLA and the ADA’s reasonable accommodations requirements for employees with disabilities …