It benefits a business to hire persons with disabilities. As David Hendricks, columnist with the San Antonio Express News points out, persons with disabilities are loyal workers. Mr. Hendricks recounts the time when Marriott Global Reservations hired a person with blindness. The hiring manager was nervous simply about interviewing a person who was blind. But,
disability
What Can an Employer Ask in a Job Interview?
A recurring question is what can an interviewer can ask in a job interview. Here are some things to consider…… or not.
1. How old are you? Be very careful about asking this question. There are very few jobs where age is an appropriate question for a job interview. If asked at the wrong time,…
Trump Mocks Reporter for His Impairment
I used to work at Disability Rights of Texas. I learned that some folks have some very obscure disabilities. One such disability is arthrogryposis. The impairment causes a person to have paralyzed arms. A reporter, Serge Kovaleski, suffers from arthrogryposis. The reporter wrote a story just after 9/11 quoting some law enforcement officials that some…
Persons with Disabilities Can Bring the Right Stuff
Many years ago, when I was a captain in the Texas National Guard, I was involved in a new military unit. It is not often in one’s career that you are involved in “standing up” a brand new unit from scratch. Our RCPOC (Rear CP Operations Cell) had a new paragraph and line number on…
Judge Reverses Sanctions Request in Discrimination Case
Yes, in federal court, either party can be sanctioned for its conduct during a lawsuit. Sanctionable conduct must be pretty egregious. National law firm, Littler Mendelson requested sanctions against a plaintiff who lost a summary judgment motion. Elaine Barley had sued Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Ms. Barley alleged that Fox did not accommodate…
Discrimination Cases Present Many Obstacles
Courtesy of creationc
Employment cases are exceedingly difficult, with numerous deadlines and traps for the unwary. We see some of these traps in the case of Prewitt v. Continental Automotive, No. 12-CV-582 (W.D. Tex. 8/28/2014). In this case, Larry Prewitt alleged that he had been terminated due to several reasons: race discrimination…
Flexible Work Schedule Can be a Reasonable Accommodation
I have written before about flexible work schedules. See my prior posts here and here. Sometimes, a worker with a disability will need a flexible work schedule as an accommodation. Recently, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals has affirmed that yes, flexible work schedules can be a reasonable accommodation. In Solomon v. Vilsack…
Discrimination Cases are Difficult to Win
A potential client recently assured me she could make me "wealthy" if I would accept her case for discrimination. She was responding to my gentle declination of her case. How do I explain to a potential client that what they see on television or in the movies is not real life? Sure, Erin Brockovich did…
Fourth Circuit Finds Temporary Impairment Covered by ADA
In a recent opinion, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has found that a sufficiently severe temporary impairment may constitute a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended. Carl Summers hurt himself on the job. He was carrying a large bag and injured both legs. With a torn meniscus and a leg fracture…
Veteran Finally Gets his Training Day
Justin Slaby has walked a long road. He lost his left hand in an Army training accident in 2004. He applied for and was accepted by the FBI. He was then kicked out of the FBI Special Agent academy. He filed suit based on disability discrimination and won. The court ruled that he should not…