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(415) 444-5800San Mateo Reasonable Accommodations Attorney
Losing a job is difficult under any circumstances. When your employer terminates you because of a disability or after failing to provide reasonable accommodations, the situation becomes not just painful but unlawful. California law offers strong protections for employees in your position, and understanding those rights is the first step toward seeking justice.
The Law Offices of Jeannette A. Vaccaro PC represents former employees who have faced this kind of discrimination. If your employer terminated you after refusing to accommodate your disability, you may have grounds for a legal claim. Our San Mateo reasonable accommodations attorney can review your case and help you through the next steps.
What Constitutes a Reasonable Accommodation?
A reasonable accommodation includes any modification to the work environment or the way a job is performed that allows a qualified individual with a disability to carry out the essential functions of their role. The purpose of these accommodations is straightforward: to remove barriers that prevent capable people from doing their jobs.
Common examples of reasonable accommodations include:
- Restructuring job duties or reassigning non-essential tasks.
- Modifying work schedules to provide time for medical appointments or rest periods.
- Relocating the work area to a more accessible space.
- Providing ergonomic furniture or mechanical and electrical aids.
- Granting leave for medical care.
Importantly, employers are not required to eliminate essential job functions, lower production or quality standards, or provide personal-use items like hearing aids or wheelchairs for use outside the workplace.
The Laws That Protect Employees With Disabilities
Two key federal and state laws govern reasonable accommodations in California. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to employers with 15 or more employees. California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) goes further, covering employers with 5 or more employees and providing broader protections overall.
Under both laws, a qualified employee with a disability is entitled to reasonable accommodations unless providing them would impose an “undue hardship” on the employer. When an employer skips this obligation and terminates an employee instead, that decision may constitute disability discrimination.
The Interactive Process and Your Former Employer’s Obligations
California law required your former employer to engage in what is known as the “interactive process” once they became aware of your disability or your need for accommodation. This awareness could arise from a direct request, a third-party notification, or simple observation.
The interactive process is a timely, good-faith dialogue between employer and employee. It involves an individualized assessment of the job and the employee’s specific limitations to identify a workable solution. Under California law, it is unlawful for an employer to fail to engage in this process. If your employer skipped it altogether or terminated you rather than working through it, their conduct may be addressed through a disability discrimination claim.
How to Build a Comprehensive Case
If you believe your former employer failed to accommodate your disability and wrongfully terminated your employment as a result, consider taking the following steps:
- Document everything you remember: dates, conversations, requests for accommodation, and your employer’s responses.
- Gather any written communications, such as emails or letters, related to your disability or termination.
- Note whether your employer ever initiated or participated in an interactive process.
- Consult with a San Mateo reasonable accommodations attorney as soon as possible, since legal claims are subject to filing deadlines.
Pursue the Justice You Deserve With a San Mateo Reasonable Accommodations Attorney
Being let go from a job because of a disability is a serious violation of your rights. California law exists precisely to prevent this kind of discrimination, and former employees who have been treated unlawfully have the right to seek accountability.
The Law Offices of Jeannette A. Vaccaro PC is committed to fighting for employees who have been wronged. Attorney Jeannette Vaccaro has recovered over $20 million on behalf of employees, including a $2 million settlement in a disability discrimination case involving a tech worker and a $1.8 million settlement following a jury verdict in another disability discrimination case. If you were terminated after your employer refused to accommodate your disability, contact our San Mateo reasonable accommodations attorney today for a free case evaluation.
Think You May
Have A Case?
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.
Jeannette A. Vaccaro is a Passionate and zealous advocate, representing employees in all facets of employment law.
Over
$20 MILLION
Recovered on Behalf of Employees
Think You May Have A Case?
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.
$2,000,000
Settlement after arbitration in a disability discrimination case involving a tech worker.
$1,822,000
Settlement after successful jury verdict in disability discrimination case.
$1,021,000
Arbitration award in race harassment and discrimination suit.
$924,000
Arbitration award obtained on behalf of employee terminated on account of his national origin.
$800,000
Settlement on behalf of a janitor in a medical leave retaliation case.
$475,000
Settlement for employee that was retaliated against on account of reporting discrimination.
$425,000
Settlement for employee discriminated against on account of her gender.
$425,000
Pre-litigation settlement for victim of race & national origin discrimination.
$400,000
Settlement negotiated in a gender discrimination case.
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