Pocket Guide to Disability Discrimination in the California Workplace

By M. Carol Stevens and Alison Heartfield Moller
1st edition, 2007

$16 each

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Disabled California workers generally turn to two basic laws to remedy discrimination they encounter in the workplace: the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. This new guide includes:

• References to the text of the law and the agencies' regulations that implement the statutory requirements;
• Similarities and differences between the FEHA and the ADA, plus a chart comparing key provisions of the laws;
• A discussion of other legal protections afforded disabled workers, such as the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the federal Family Medical Leave Act and corresponding California Family Rights Act, and workers compensation laws;
• Major court decisions that interpret disability laws;

Appendices of useful resources for obtaining more information about disability discrimination.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction       1
II. How Do FEHA and ADA Compare?     4
III. Who Do Disability Discrimination Laws Protect?     21
A. Which Employers Do the Laws Cover?      22
B. What Disabilities Do the Laws Cover?      25

1. What is a “physical or mental condition” under the FEHA?     25
2. What is an “impairment” under the ADA?     27
3. What is a “major life activity” under the FEHA?     29
4. What is a “major life activity” under the ADA? 30
5. How does a physical or mental condition “limit” a major life activity under the FEHA? 32
6. Mitigating measures under the FEHA 33
7. How does an impairment “substantially limit” a major life activity under the ADA? 34
8. Mitigating measures under the ADA 35
9. Does the law protect persons with temporary disabilities? 36
10. How do the FEHA and the ADA differ with respect to the major life activity of “working”? 38

C. Is the Employee Capable of Performing the Job’s Essential Functions?  40
D. Does the Employee Require Reasonable Accommodation?  43
E. When May an Employer Refuse to Provide Reasonable Accommodation? 48
F. How Are the Need for and Nature of Reasonable Accommodation Determined? 51
G. Who Do the Laws Exclude From Coverage?    55
H. When Does the Law Protect Non-Disabled Persons?    56

1. Record of a disability 57
2. Regarded as having a disability 58
3. Associates of disabled individuals 60
4. Other individuals 60

IV. How Do Employers Comply With Disability Discrimination Laws?   62
A. What Obligations Does the ADA Impose on Employers?  62
B. What Obligations Does the FEHA Impose on Employers?  64
C. What Practices Do the Laws Regulate During the Pre-Employment Process?   65

1. What test may employers require? 66
2. When must employers accommodate test-takers? 67
3. What restrictions apply to job announcements and training programs? 67
4. What pre-employment medical inquiries may employers utilize? 67
5. What pre-employment medical test may employers utilize? 69
     Confidential medical files 72
     Physical agility tests 73
     Drug tests 74

D. What Practices Do the Laws Regulate During Employment?      76

1. When may employers require disabled employees to obey work rules?    77
2. How may employers respond to workplace substance abuse?  78
     Drug use     78
     Alcohol use      81
     Workplace rules regarding substance abuse  82
3. When may employers discipline employees with mental disabilities?    83
4. What medical exams and inquiries may employers require of employees?     87
5. When do an employer’s retirement and health care plans discriminate?     88
     Retirement plans   88
     Medical plans 89

E. What Other Employer Practices Do Disability Discrimination Laws Prohibit?   93

1. Coercion     93
2. Harassment   94
3. Retaliation  97

F. What Post-Employment Obligations Do the Laws Impose?    99

V. How Are Disability Discrimination Laws Enforced? What Remedies Are Available?    100
A. How Are the FEHA and the ADA Discrimination Protections Enforced?    100

1. What are the administrative prerequisites to bringing a disability discrimination lawsuit?     100
2. When may disability discrimination claims be subject to arbitration?    105
3. Who may bring a disability discrimination lawsuit? Who can be sued?     108
4. What defenses may employers invoke?  112
     Direct threat    112
     Food handlers  117
     Conflicting federal laws and regulations 118
     Religious entities    118
     Smoking 119
5. When can the employer claim its conduct has a legitimate, nondiscriminatory basis?     119
     Disparate treatment claims  119
     Disparate impact claims 119
     After-acquired evidence  120
     Burlington/Faragher defense 121

B. What Remedies Are Available to Persons Who Experience Unlawful Discrimination?    121

VI. What Other Laws Protect Disabled Employees?    126
A. ADA Titles II and III     126

1. Title II      127
2. Title III     129

B. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973     132

1. Coverage     133
2. Enforcement  133
3. Damages     133

C. The Federal Family Medical Leave Act and the California Family Rights Act     134
D. Pregnancy Leave   140
E. Other Statutory Leaves     141
F. Workers’ Compensation   141
G. Unruh Civil Rights Act     145
H. Wrongful Discharge in Violation of Public Policy     146
I. Confidentiality of Medical Information Act    147

VII. Major Court Decisions 148
A. Arbitration      148
B. Attorneys’ Fees 150
C. Collective Bargaining       150
D. Direct Threat     150
E. Discrimination Against Associates of Disabled Individuals       152
F. Family Medical Leave Act      153
G. Harassment       153
H. Illegal Drug Use    154
I. Impairments      155
J. Limitations and Substantial Limitations      156
K. Litigation     157
L. Major Life Activities; Limitations and Substantial Limitations      159
M. Medical Exams and Records       160
N. Mitigating Measures         162
O. Parties    162
P. Reasonable Accommodation       164
Q. Regarded as Disabled    168
R. Rehabilitation Act   170
S. Return to Work    170
T. Titles II and III    171
U. Undue Hardship  171
V. Unruh Act  172
W. Workers’ Compensation   172

VIII. Table of Cases 173

Appendix A: Conditions the ADA and the FEHA Cover and Exclude  189
A. Conditions the ADA Covers   189
B. Conditions the ADA Excludes  190
C. Conditions the FEHA Covers 191
D. Conditions the FEHA Exludes 192

Appendix B: Where to Obtain Additional Information About ADA and FEHA Requirements  193
A. Accessibility    193
B. Disability Rights  194
C. Employment   194
D. Federal Government 195
E. Social Security/Taxes    196
F. Technology/Telecommunications 197