By Eric B. Meyer
Much has been written lately in the blogosphere about telecommuting as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act for qualifying disabled employees.
Last month, Jon Hyman wrote about this case, in which a federal court in Ohio held that telecommuting may be a reasonable accommodation based on the unique facts concerning the employee and the workplace — and that issue was up to a jury to determine.
Earlier this month, I came across another case (EEOC v. Ford Motor Co.), in which a Michigan federal court also recognized that telecommuting may be a reasonable accommodation. However, unlike the prior Ohio decision, the Michigan court recognized that there are some telecommuting arrangements that are just so impractical that no jury would conclude that telecommuting is a reasonable accommodation. (more…)