Disability discrimination occurs regularly in the workplace. One reason is that employees with disabilities often require accommodations, particularly leaves of absence. Accommodations like leaves of absence can be disruptive to the employer’s business, cost the employer money, and inconvenience other employees. That’s why juries instinctively understand that employers are willing to target employees with disabilities. Another reason that makes disability discrimination common is lack of understanding on the part of employers (particularly smaller employers without Human Resources or Legal Departments) that for purposes of a discrimination claim, essentially any physical, emotional, or mental condition is a disability. Another reason that discrimination occurs often is because employers may believe that employees who become sick (disabled) will no longer perform up to expected standards or as well as they performed before. You should know that you don’t have to be in a wheelchair to be considered disabled under the law. In fact, the term “disability” is very broad and encompasses both physical, mental and emotional disabilities. Even temporary conditions can qualify as disabilities. In fact, the employee doesn’t need to actually have a disability; if an employer is motivated by the incorrect assumption or perception that an employee has a disability, that can be the basis for a discrimination claim.
New Jersey Disability Discrimination Attorneys
If you are being or have been discriminated against because you have a disability or your employer perceives you as being disabled, call the New Jersey employment law attorneys at Lenzo & Reis, LLC at 973-845-9922. We represent people with disability discrimination claims in Morristown, Newark, Jersey City and throughout New Jersey.
