Laws Protecting Employees with Disabilities

Extensive revisions to disabilities regulations are effective December 30, 2012. This section has been updated to reflect these new regulations.

​Several state and federal laws protect employees with disabilities against discrimination. Employers must consider people with disabilities, both applicants and employees, as productive members of the workforce.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

  • ADA and FEHA

    ADA and FEHAFour state and federal laws protect employees with disabilities from discrimination:   More »

    Read about new 2013 regulations.
  • Employees Must Prove Themselves Qualified

    Employees Must Prove Themselves QualifiedThe ADA requires employees to prove that they are "qualified individuals" and that they can perform the essential job duties before they can establish discrimination.  More »

    Read about 2013 regulations.
  • Employers Cannot Discriminate on the Basis of Genetic Characteristics

    Employers Cannot Discriminate on the Basis of Genetic CharacteristicsCalifornia law prohibits discrimination based on a person's genetic characteristics.  More »

  • Drugs and Alcohol

    Drugs and AlcoholApplicants or employees who currently use illegal drugs or abuse alcohol are not protected under the ADA or FEHA.  More »

    Read about a new 2012 court case.
  • Workplace Injuries and Disability Discrimination

    Workplace Injuries and Disability DiscriminationWorkers' compensation coverage does not automatically establish that a person is protected by the ADA or FEHA.   More »

  • Disabilities and Employee Benefits

    Disabilities and Employee BenefitsThe ADA and FEHA prohibit you from denying equal benefits to qualified applicants or employees with disabilities, including discriminatory allocations of fringe benefits, even if you do not administer these benefits.  More »

  • Temporary Workers and Disability Discrimination

    Temporary Workers and Disability DiscriminationThe EEOC issued Enforcement Guidance: Application Of The ADA To Contingent Workers Placed By Temporary Agencies And Other Staffing Firms to clarify how federal disability discrimination laws apply to temporary workers.   More »

  • Required ADA/FEHA Posters

    Required ADA/FEHA PostersAll employers, employment agencies, labor organizations and others covered by the ADA must post a notice in an accessible format to applicants, employees or members describing the applicable provisions of the ADA.  More »