QUESTION

Does my situation qualify for reasonable accommodations under the ADA

Asked on Nov 02nd, 2020 on Americans with Disabilities Act - New York
More details to this question:
I am a nurse educator employed in a nursing program that currently requires 12 hour clinical shifts. I recently had bariatric surgery which requires that I drink frequently to maintain hydration, something that is difficult to do while supervising students on a clinical floor. In addition I have adhd which makes these shifts difficult for me to manage effectively. I am being told I have to teach clinical and I cannot be only in the classroom as this is the expectation for others in my same position. Is it reasonable for me to request that I not teach clinical and instead teach only in the classroom when there is adequate faculty to cover this and other faculty have been allowed to teach only in the classroom in the past?
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1 ANSWER

Labor and Employment Attorney serving Tarrytown, NY at Urba Law PLLC
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Maybe. Your question is an interesting one. The answer may differ depending on whether New York State or federal law applies. Under New York's revised Human Rights Law you may have a stronger argument for an accommodation, especially since October 11, 2019 when the new HRL kicked in. Remember that work hours as well as work days are determined on a case-by-case basis. We have a fairly recent case in the W.D.N.Y. federal court, Lewis v. Livingston County Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, 30 F.Supp.3d 196, 209 (W.D.N.Y. 2014) where a federal district judge in Buffalo, correctly I believe, ruled that "mandation", where a nursing home demands overtime as an essential function of a CNA's job, cannot automatically determine that overtime is absolutely necessary without examining the facts of the particular case and the hours which the employer alleges are necessary on an employee's particular job for that particular employer. Reasonable accommodations and the interactive process can get a little tricky. Sometimes employees think that their situation is a slam dunk win where an employer cannot demand overtime or specific days to work or long hours in violation of reasonable accommodations and they are wrong. Sometimes an employee's specific condition may not qualify or the condition may be sufficiently controlleded with medication. Sometimes physicians disagree. Sometimes the particular combination of ailments might not qualify. It depends on a comprehensive analysis of each particular situation, an employee's work history, the specific job duties, the staffing needs of a facility, the hardships created, the duration of an accommodation, pandemic factors, etc... It can get fairly complicated. Sometimes employers refuse to even engage the interactive process because they have insufficient information to determine that such a process is even necessary when an employee is certain that it is. It all depends. So, your facts sound, on their face, like ones where an employer might possibly need to accommodate but your accommodation might not be the one which flies in the end. More information is needed and sometimes employers dig in and refuse. You should probably call some employment lawyers. Many serve the entire state, no longer meet in person with clients, and do a bang-up job representing all types of health care workers long distance. All of these cases require a substantial time investment. Call around. Call many employment lawyers and before you retain one make sure they truly care about you and about what they think they might be able to do for you. Good luck. Interesting facts.  
Answered on Nov 04th, 2020 at 9:54 AM

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