Remote Work as an ADA Accomodation: When Past Practice Matters

  • 1 minute read

Courts and regulators keep reminding employers: if an employee previously performed the role remotely, it’s harder to claim that remote work now causes undue hardship or that on-site presence is always “essential.” Recent analyses highlight fact-specific reviews of job duties, past arrangements, and documented outcomes.

What HR should do now:

  • Define “essential functions” in writing, and keep them current.
  • Document prior remote/hybrid stints (what worked, what didn’t, productivity and safety metrics).
  • Run a real interactive process: explore partial remote days, temporary trials, or phased schedules before defaulting to “no.”

How ConnectBridge helps: track restrictions, trials, and check-ins in one case file—so Legal, HR, and managers see the same facts when evaluating ADA requests.

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Navigating the Patchwork of State Paid Leave Laws

Paid leave compliance is becoming increasingly complex, with 23 states (and counting) enacting their own laws, and very little consistency between them. Here’s what employers need to know: Employers must align policies with state-specific accrual rates, usage rules, and carryover limits, while ensuring

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