Disability Management

The Americans with Disabilities Act, Washington Law Against Discrimination, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and Seattle’s Sick and Safety Leave Law have significantly changed the landscape of employer obligations to employees who cannot work due to injuries or illnesses.  We have extensive experience guiding clients through this jungle of laws and defending employers against legal challenges to disability management decisions before courts and administrative agencies.  We offer clients practical solutions to the difficult legal and operational problems involved in managing employee absences and requests for accommodations.

We work closely with you to:

  • Learn your business and the impact an accommodation might have on it;
  • Develop workplace safety programs;
  • Draft policies concerning leaves of absence and reasonable accommodation and related issues; and
  • Guide you and your managers in responding to requests for leave and accommodations, while preserving management and employee rights.

As employers evaluate leave, accommodation, and return to work requests, we provide guidance at every step, from communicating with employees and their health care providers, to determining the appropriate response to the specific situation at hand.