Fresh case filings across healthcare, tech, higher ed, and financial services share the same themes: documentation gaps, weak interactive processes, and timing problems around leave and accommodations.
Tips for employers (put into practice this week):
- Own the paperwork trail. Don’t let medical forms “go missing.” Track requests, certifications, and due dates; follow up proactively and document every touchpoint.
- Run a real interactive process. For pregnancy, disability, and post-surgery limitations, explore light duty, schedule tweaks, phased RTW—and record the why behind each decision.
- Mind the timing. Adverse actions shortly after protected activity (disclosure, leave request, complaint) invite retaliation claims—anchor decisions to objective, contemporaneous evidence.
- Consistency beats conjecture. If performance is the reason, show comparable metrics for similarly situated employees; avoid one-off standards.
- Offer alternatives before transfers. Reassigning to a less desirable role without first assessing reasonable accommodations can backfire.
How ConnectBridge helps: Centralize ADA/FMLA/PWFA requests, automate certification and follow-up reminders, log interactive-process steps, and export audit-ready timelines that show good-faith, individualized decisions.