In certain situations, employers can claim “undue hardship” when it comes to workplace accommodations under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). An undue hardship occurs when providing the particular accommodation would result in significant difficulty or expense, based on a company’s resources and business operations. One employer learned how this defense can work to its benefit.

On November 15, 2022, Sara, an employee, was diagnosed with cancer. She told her supervisor, John, of her diagnosis and that surgery was scheduled for December 6. She requested leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) from December 6 to February 27, 2023, and the employer approved it.

I recently bought a new car that has lots of bells and whistles. Its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are constantly alerting me to “perceived” risks. It’s a far cry from my first car, a 1976 Chevette that didn’t have AC or an FM radio.

Motor vehicles today have a lot of information coming at drivers all at once, and it’s easy to become distracted. I wonder whether, in some way, my simple compact car was less of a distraction. The only tasks that took my eyes off the road were adjusting the radio station or car temperature.

Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States, costing the nation billions each year in health care services, medications, and lost productivity.

Simply heading to work can be tough on the heart, as exposure to certain social, organizational, and environmental conditions in the workplace play a role in heart disease risk.