Work This Way: A Labor & Employment Law Podcast | Service Animals, the ADA, and Workplace Rights
Episode 07: "Next Gen" Reasonable Accommodations And Disability Law Trends
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination and guarantees persons with disabilities have equal access to purchase goods and services. Title II of the ADA governs places of “public accommodation,” which...more
A recent federal court ruling presents a cautionary tale for employers when handling employee disability-related requests. The US District Court for the District of Utah’s January 13 decision allows the employee to proceed...more
On this episode of Work This Way, Tina chats with fellow hosts and Maynard Nexsen attorneys Jennie Cluverius and Fay Edwards, along with a very special guest, Bing the pomsky, a service dog in training. Together, they break...more
In a prior installment of this blog post we outlined the law that all Arkansas school administrators should know about service animals. Now we turn to a slightly less clear issue that comes up quite frequently: the...more
If you’ve ever had a parent or visitor arrive at your school event with a dog, you’ve probably found yourself asking: What are my legal responsibilities? What questions am I allowed to ask? How do I balance access, safety,...more
At the intersection of public accommodation and employment, the hospitality industry is a dynamic and multifaceted space spanning hotels, restaurants, movie theatres, event venues, and more. When employees and guests request...more
In a cautionary “tail” about the importance of engaging in the interactive process, when a Maryland automobile dealership allegedly denied an Iraq War veteran’s request for a service dog to manage panic attacks from...more
A Maryland car dealership has agreed to pay $30,000 to settle a federal disability discrimination lawsuit centered on an employee’s use of an emotional support animal. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)...more
Adams & Reese recently obtained a landmark win for a housing provider, securing a ruling that it did not have to automatically waive its animal fee for a tenant with an emotional support animal (ESA) under the Fair Housing...more
The EEOC recently filed a federal lawsuit against a Maryland auto dealer alleging that it denied a parts department worker a reasonable accommodation – specifically, allowing him a service dog at work for his PTSD – and then...more
In May, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced it was suing a Maryland-based employer for allegedly violating Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by refusing to allow an employee to...more
A Maryland employer recently found itself in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) doghouse when it allegedly summarily rejected an employee’s accommodation request to have his service animal come to work with...more
Last year’s Minnesota legislative session resulted in a 1,000-page omnibus bill that included significant changes to the state’s labor and employment laws. As this year’s legislative session comes to a close, we predict a...more
On April 29, 2025, in Fisher v. City of Lansing, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan ruled that the City of Lansing did not fail to accommodate an employee’s request to bring an emotional support dog...more
A recent case from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida illustrates how businesses should handle scenarios where service animals present health risks to others with severe allergies....more
Dogs are a human’s best friend – but are they the hospitality industry’s best friend, too? Restaurant owners may be wondering what their rights, responsibilities, and options are with respect to letting our furry friends...more
In general, as long as such restrictions are drafted clearly, the North Carolina Courts will uphold their enforcement; however, there are several factors community associations should consider when establishing and enforcing...more
The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C., could impact your business....more
New York City employees may soon be entitled to take sick leave to care for their pets if a newly introduced bill is passed by the city council....more
Many employees consider their pets to be family members and rely on them for emotional support and mental health wellbeing. Two New York City legislators recently took this a step further, introducing a measure that would...more
Dogs seem to be everywhere you go these days: whether it’s an outdoor restaurant, the hardware store, or your local brewery. While many may wish it were true, employers are not obligated to allow employees to bring an...more
Co-op and condo boards have a legal obligation to provide reasonable accommodations to residents with disabilities. Residents often request permission to live with their so-called emotional support or therapy animals (“ESAs”)...more
In attempting to assess the complicated balance between an individual employee’s need for a service animal and the requirements of clients, customers, patients, and the workplace as a whole, the Eighth Circuit has weighed in...more
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has issued several significant decisions that employers doing business in Minnesota should be aware of. Here are a few highlights of recent Eight Circuit Decisions that have addressed...more
The Equal Opportunities Commission recently issued Guide Dogs: A Practical Guide with a view to better protect the rights of guide dog users in public settings....more