Seminar on Psychiatric Disabilities in the Workplace
One of the biggest challenges for any human resources department is managing employees who suffer from psychiatric disabilities.
Medical conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, and the like often result in chronic absenteeism, impaired performance, conflicts with fellow employees, and a need for intermittent leave. These types of disabilities also may be prone to unique leave and accommodation challenges, and, like all forms of both physical and psychiatric medical leave accommodation, are subject to abuse.
In addition to the challenge of ensuring the safety and work performance needs of the workplace, employers also must ensure that any responses to employee psychiatric disabilities are consistent with the ADA, FMLA, HIPAA, and a variety of other federal, state and local laws.
In response to recent inquiries from clients about these issues, we have scheduled a seminar entitled “Best Practices for Dealing with Workplace Psychiatric Disabilities” to be held on Tuesday, June 23rd, from 8:30 - 10:00.m. at Abilities Network, 8503 LaSalle Road, Towson, MD 21286.
The seminar will cover topics such as how to educate supervisors and employees proactively about the laws governing psychiatric disabilities, and best practices for responding to these issues in a way that maximizes the chances of accommodating employees while minimizing the risks of legal liability. We will cover specifically the intersection of the ADA, FMLA and workers compensation laws, as well as the implications of these laws for STD and LTD policies.
As always, there is no charge for the seminar. Please contact Alison Christian at achristian@smithdowney.com or (410) 321-9000 to register. (Light refreshments will be served.)