5th Circuit Service Dog Ruling Highlights Circuit Split on ADA

Employment attorney Sarah Belger was quoted in a Law360 article analyzing a recent U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decision that clarifies employers can face Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) violations for unreasonable delays in accommodating disabled workers, even if no additional harm such as job loss occurs. Ms. Belger explained the law does not establish a strict timeline for responding to accommodation requests, but courts expect companies to show good faith efforts throughout the process. She noted that factors including the length and reasons for delay, employer responsiveness and alternative accommodations offered will all be evaluated when determining ADA compliance.

"It's not a set amount of time, but what the court is going to want to see is the company taking good faith efforts to engage in that interactive process," she said.

READ: 5th Circuit Service Dog Ruling Highlights Circuit Split on ADA