Both federal and California law protect people with disabilities from discrimination in the workplace. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to employers with 15 or more employees, while California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) extends those protections to employers with 5 or more employees. Unfortunately, many individuals encounter hurdles when requesting accommodations. When termination follows a request, it raises serious legal questions, and you may have more options than you realize. If your employer unfairly denied you reasonable accommodations and then fired you due to your disability status, a reasonable accommodations lawyer in Oakland can help you learn about your rights and take action.
A reasonable accommodation refers to any modification or adjustment to the workplace or job procedures that enables a qualified employee with a disability to complete the essential duties of their position. These adjustments are legally required unless they would cause an employer “undue hardship.”
Common examples include:
Accommodations are highly individualized. What works for one employee may not be appropriate for another, which is why the law requires a collaborative process between employer and employee.
When an employee requests a reasonable accommodation, California law requires the employer to engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process. This involves a genuine dialogue to identify an effective solution.
Failing to participate in this process, delaying it without cause, or rejecting requests outright without discussion may constitute a violation of the law. An employer who terminates an employee instead of engaging in this process may face serious legal consequences.
Timing is often the clearest warning sign. If you had a stable work history and were fired shortly after requesting an accommodation, that sequence of events can raise questions about your employer’s true motive.
Employers often claim the termination was performance-based or driven by business necessity. However, a clear timeline and strong documentation can challenge those defenses.
If you were fired, acting promptly is important. Disability discrimination claims are subject to filing deadlines, and waiting too long can limit available legal options.
Here are concrete steps to take:
If you were terminated after requesting a reasonable accommodation, you do not have to navigate this alone. At the Law Offices of Jeannette A. Vaccaro PC, we represent individuals in wrongful discharge and disability discrimination cases. We have recovered over $20 million on behalf of clients in California and work hard to achieve favorable results for our clients.
Contact our reasonable accommodations lawyer in Oakland today for a free case evaluation.
Jeannette is passionate about employee rights. She fights to shed light on injustices and to help her clients move beyond troubling times. Contact Jeannette today for a free case evaluation.
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Settlement after successful jury verdict in disability discrimination case.
Arbitration award in race harassment and discrimination suit.
Arbitration award obtained on behalf of employee terminated on account of his national origin.
Settlement on behalf of a janitor in a medical leave retaliation case.
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Settlement for employee discriminated against on account of her gender.
Pre-litigation settlement for victim of race & national origin discrimination.
Settlement negotiated in a gender discrimination case.
