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Service animals can play an important role in helping employees with disabilities remain employed and perform their jobs effectively.
In many cases, the use of a service animal is a valid workplace accommodation when the animal is trained to perform tasks related to the worker’s disability. Here are a few ways service animals help employees stay safe, productive, and employed:
- Equal access at work: Service animals enable employees to get to work reliably and move about the workplace safely, reducing barriers that might otherwise make the job unattainable.
- Support job performance: By addressing functional or medical needs, service animals allow employees to maintain productivity and independence on the job. For example, service animals can assist employees in carrying out essential job functions, such as alerting a person who is deaf or hard of hearing to alarms, phones, or approaching colleagues, or a service animal could assist someone with diabetes or epilepsy by detecting changes in blood sugar or warning of seizures, enabling the employee to manage health conditions while continuing work.
- Reduce absenteeism: Without a service animal, some employees might miss work or be unable to continue working safely.
There are countless ways service animals enable employees with disabilities to perform essential job duties, remain safe and independent, and reduce health-related disruptions, allowing workers to keep their jobs and thrive in the workplace.
Unfortunately, many employers fail to accommodate their workers’ need for a service animal. In a recent case, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) determined that a car dealership denied an employee with PTSD the right to have a service dog at work, despite the dog’s ability to help manage his panic attacks. The employer denied the request and refused to engage in the interactive process, which ultimately forced the employee to leave his job.
In another case, the EEOC filed a lawsuit on behalf of a worker with impaired vision who needed his service dog for commuting back and forth to work. The employer denied his request, claiming that the dog would be a “health and safety risk” in the workplace, even though it would have been kept in a back room out of customer view and food preparation areas. He was fired before even working his first shift.
In yet another EEOC enforcement action, a trucking company required a truck driver to pay a fee for having his service dog accompany him. Workers should not be charged a fee for the use of a service animal.
If you have questions about how to ask for the use of a service animal at your job, or if your request was denied, we are here to help. You can schedule a consultation with Amanda here to learn more.
