Automation is the way of the future . . . or so we thought. Make no mistake, the technology at our fingertips is powerful. As we increasingly rely on it, we lose human interaction and that presents its own risks. Even in the completely digital world of web accessibility, the human touch is essential. Companies should consider utilizing vendors who … Continue Reading
Shayla N. Waldon
The Human Touch of Web Accessibility
If You Thought Website Accessibility Was Only for Your Customers—Think Again
Just how inclusive is your workplace? Do you use online applications? If visually impaired applicants cannot access your online application, chances are that your workplace fails to include these individuals. That means you could be both missing out on qualified applicants and making your business a target for claims.
Over the years, in an effort to simplify the processing of … Continue Reading
One Visit and Vague Plans to Return Not Sufficient to Allow ADA Access Claim
Businesses might see a ray of hope in a recent federal appellate court decision that rejected the ability of a wheelchair-bound patron and “tester” to pursue her claim against a property owner and shop in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
There is a veritable cottage industry of plaintiffs who bring claims against businesses, even those they have never visited. In an effort … Continue Reading
The Nation’s Employers Just Got PAID
Employers who would like to work with the Department of Labor to correct potential wage and hour violations before they get sued may get their wish: the DOL has launched a Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program. The agency has invited all employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act to consider participating in this six-month pilot program. However, … Continue Reading
Website Accessibility Cases Proceed Despite Absence of Regulations
Recent trends indicate that ’tis always the season for web accessibility litigation, so with the new year, you should take a new look at your website. Businesses around the country, and especially in Florida, are discovering that their websites are within the crosshairs of visually impaired plaintiffs who, on contacting a business for assistance, may be told to visit a … Continue Reading
Disabled Access: A Chance to Fix Your Premises Before Being Sued?
New legislation seeks to level the playing field for businesses that have been targeted by “drive-by” claims alleging discrimination by customers with disabilities who may have never even gone to visit the place of public accommodation. Keep your fingers crossed.
Businesses frequently complain about “drive-by” lawsuits. Some courts have lamented the “cottage industry” that seems to have arisen under Title … Continue Reading
R-E-S-P-E-C-T in Your Workplace
Are racial issues, religious differences, and gender norms creating tension in your workplace? Are the caustic exchanges so evident in news coverage today starting to crop up in the office? Are employees complaining of discriminatory treatment on social media? While it may feel like stepping into a hornet’s nest, employers cannot sit silently by and hope for the best. Employers … Continue Reading
It’s Audit Season: Have You Audited Your Website’s Accessibility?
Audit season is in full swing. Businesses now are working with auditors on their tax and other audits to ensure compliance with various financial regulations. But there is one audit that many businesses have yet to undertake and have continued to miss over the last few years: the accessibility of their website. Many businesses continued to be stunned when receiving … Continue Reading
What’s in a Pronoun? Liability for Employers
Political correctness in the workplace has become increasingly complex. Employers who have referred to transitioning employees with the wrong pronoun have found themselves in the crosshairs of the EEOC. But what about those employees who do not identify with either gender and prefer a gender neutral pronoun? Say, what?… Continue Reading
The Age of “Big Data”: How Your Electronic Applicant Searches May Be Complicating Your Talent Search
How do you hire only the “best” employees? How does any employer find the time to “vet” the hundreds or even thousands of job seekers applying for positions? A number of employers have turned to “big data” – the use of various algorithms to quickly analyze competing employees for coveted positions. These algorithms contain series of predictive data variables that … Continue Reading
Why You Should Make Your Website ADA Accessible Now
Even though the deadline for creating accessibility standards has been pushed back to 2018, private businesses are at risk now if they have not yet taken measures to ensure that their websites can be accessed by individuals with disabilities. In fact, just last month a blind man in California successfully argued that a Colorado-based luggage retailer failed to make its … Continue Reading
D.C. Circuit Reinstates Home Health Care Regulations
Earlier this year, we brought news that the DOL had revised its regulations applicable to home health care workers. Those regulations, which related to domestic workers who provide “companionship services,” narrowed significantly the classes of workers who were exempt from the minimum wage and overtime protections of the FLSA by removing the ability of home health care agencies to claim … Continue Reading
Pregnancy Discrimination Prohibition To Be Included in Florida Civil Rights Act
In April 2014, the Florida Supreme Court held in Delva v. The Continental Group, Inc. that pregnancy discrimination was encompassed within “sex” discrimination as protected in the then-enacted version of the Florida Civil Rights Act (the “FCRA”), even though it was not explicitly mentioned in the FCRA. In response to this holding, the Florida legislature has now passed Senate Bill … Continue Reading
Even In Colorado, Employees May Be Terminated for Medical Marijuana Use In Violation of Company Drug Policy
In Coats v. Dish Network, LLC, the Supreme Court of Colorado upheld an employer’s decision to terminate the employment of a quadriplegic employee who worked as a customer service representative and who held a state-issued license to consume medical marijuana. Coats, who had been confined to a wheelchair since his teenage years, tested positive for marijuana during a random … Continue Reading
Home Health Care Remains Affordable: New Companionship Exemption Rules Overturned
A federal court has invalidated the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) amended rule that would have extended minimum wage and overtime protections to nearly two million home health care workers and affected the cost and availability of those services to the millions of patients under their care. The ruling represents a significant victory for the home health care industry, though … Continue Reading
FMLA & Medical Certification: When Does An Employer Have A “Reason to Doubt”?
Given the financial and administrative costs that FMLA continues to impose upon employers, HR managers are consulting with counsel to determine what tools are available to ensure that those who truly need FMLA leave are able to get it. One commonly used tool is to obtain second opinions to verify the accuracy of an initial medical certification.
The FMLA in … Continue Reading
Your Digital Workplace: Pitfalls and Remedies for Employees’ Internet Use
Computers are a doubled-edged sword—a vital convenience for everyone while simultaneously a potential source of liability if used improperly by employees. Employers’ liability has expanded to the point where an employer may be liable to a third party for harm caused by an employee’s misuse of computer systems at work. For example, an employer may be held liable to a … Continue Reading
