The ADA Amendments Act has been turning HR professionals’ worlds upside down. 

Here are a few comments to illuminate this point:  

• “What do you mean I have to grant her time off as an “accommodation” for her to go get Invitro Fertilization treatments????!”
• “Are you serious…I have to allow him to work from home as an “accommodation” for his Irritable Bowel Syndrome?” 
• “Are you kidding?  I have to tell my employees who work rotating shifts that Fred doesn’t have to?  How am I supposed to explain THAT without a mutiny on my hands?  I can’t disclose that Fred has depression and that allowing him to work a dayshift schedule is an ADA accommodation… Ugh! This is becoming a nightmare…”

These are just a few of the comments from HR professionals regarding the impacts of the ADAAA.  The law was broadened and now the list of Major Life Activities includes “major bodily functions.”  This broadening of the law had some good intentions; however, with the expansion of the law some employees have already figured out a way to take advantage to cut their own special deals, especially with workplace scheduling and work-from-home arrangements.  And, it is not uncommon for employees to ask their doctors to write out, specifically, what they want as an accommodation! 

This is a must-attend conference to ensure you are current on the law, know how to handle complex employee accommodation requests--and how to “push back” on requests that are unreasonable.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) and significant changes in what constitutes a disability
• Recognize the “regarded as” prong of the ADAAA and how to minimize your risk of being sued by an employee who isn’t “really disabled” but was regarded as
• Determine if an employee has a qualified disability—and how to document appropriately
• Recognize the specific challenges when handling issues involving mental disabilities such as Bipolar Affective Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, Depression and others
• Analyze the “sticky issues”, such as declining employee performance, absenteeism, and unreasonable requests
• Assess the balancing act of providing reasonable accommodations while also managing the business

Who will Benefit?

• Senior HR Professionals
• HR Managers & Directors
• Attorneys
• HR Personnel
• Employee Relations Professionals