Mental illness in the workplace: The tension between productivity and reasonable accommodation

Abstract

This article discusses the current legislation that an employer must comply with when dealing with employees who suffer from mental illness and the extent to which an employer must provide reasonable accommodations to such individuals. It includes a discussion of the standards, including the reasonable accommodation requirement, under both the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Rehabilitation Act”) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”). The article also discusses recent case law involving claims under the above legislation with respect to the threshold question of whether the individual has a “qualifying handicap” and reasonable accommodation issues. The article concludes with a discussion of recommendations regarding ways in which an employer can reasonably accommodate a mentally ill employee, with a brief analysis of some of the barriers to accomplishing same.