Making Employees’ Mental Health Disclosures Matter
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Mental Health
The ubiquity of mental health issues during the pandemic has been well documented. I always start a post about mental health with statistics. I think it’s important to see how pervasive mental health issues are—they affect people regardless of their economic status, politics, sex, race, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. They…
Read More ICYMI—Webinar Recording of COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Considerations At Work
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Covid-19 Vaccines, Workplace Safety
Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use by people 16 years of age and older. Yet, COVID-19 cases are still surging throughout most of the country thanks to the Delta Variant. Eager to get bodies back in office chairs, more employers are developing and implementing COVID-19…
Read More Employers, How Are You Handling Ruff Requests?
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Accommodation of Disabilities, Disabilities and Accommodations (ADA), Mental Health
As COVID-19 vaccines become more readily available to more people and states ease gathering restrictions, employees are steadily, if slowly, returning to the office. As life returns to a semblance of normal, I wonder if employers will see an increase in requests from employees to bring their emotional support animals (“ESAs”) to work. Indeed, mental…
Read More Employers, Are Your Supervisors Prepared for Accommodation Requests for Mental Health Issues?
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Accommodation of Disabilities, Disabilities and Accommodations (ADA), Discrimination in the Workplace, Uncategorized
By: Amy Epstein Gluck If your answer is anything other than “yes, absolutely,” we should really talk. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects qualified employees with mental health impairments the same as it does employees with physical disabilities—as long as the employee can perform the essential functions of the job and the accommodation does not impose…
Read More How Do We Destigmatize and Accommodate Mental Health Impairments In The Workplace?
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Accommodation of Disabilities, General Employer Guidance, Mental Health
In honor of #mentalhealth awareness day, I remind you: There is a lot of talk these days about diversity and inclusion. And about accommodating those with disabilities. Remember: providing accommodations applies to employees with mental impairments too. Recently, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency that enforces the anti-discrimination laws, has reminded…
Read More Failing To Provide Accommodations for Mental Health Issues Comes At A Price
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Abuse in the Workplace, Accommodation of Disabilities, Disabilities and Accommodations (ADA), Discrimination in the Workplace, EEOC
By: Amy Epstein Gluck Employers must catch on: mental illness is prevalent in our workplaces. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), approximately 1 in 5 adults —43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year, and of those adults, about 1 in 25 adults in the U.S.—9.8 million, or 4.0%—experiences a serious mental illness…
Read More Employers, Do You Have “Meaningful Measures” In Place to Combat Disability Discrimination? #ADA
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Abuse in the Workplace, Accommodation of Disabilities, Discrimination in the Workplace, EEOC, General Employer Guidance
By: Amy Epstein Gluck What’s not a good idea? Terminating an employee who requests a reasonable accommodation. Or failing to even discuss said accommodation. One employer found this out the hard way. Yesterday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency that enforces the federal anti-discrimination laws including the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA),…
Read More Psst…did you know it was Disability Awareness Month?
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Accommodation of Disabilities, Discrimination in the Workplace, EEOC
By: Amy Epstein Gluck Well, it is! And, in honor of that, I bring you a new law affecting most New York City employers, at least those with more than four employees. The law applies to all of your employees, whether full- or part-time, interns (paid or unpaid), temps, and protects more NYC employees than…
Read More New Jersey Federal Court: Employer Need Not Waive Drug Test for Medical Marijuana User
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Accommodation of Disabilities, Drug Testing, Marijuana in the Workplace
By: Amy Epstein Gluck Remember—despite the legalization of medical marijuana in a majority of states, marijuana remains illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”), which lists cannabis as a prohibited Schedule 1 illegal drug. What does it mean to be a Schedule 1 drug? “Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs…
Read More Fizzy Drinks and The Red Hot Chili Peppers
By Richard Cohen | | Uncategorized
Wondering what the title of this post is about? It seems that an 18-year old woman was about to enter a Belfast concert by the Red Hot Chili Peppers when her “fizzy drink” was confiscated by security. So? Well, she suffers from type 1 diabetes and the “fizzy drink” was Lucozade, which she always carries…
Read More RICHARD COHEN
Richard Cohen has litigated and arbitrated complex corporate, commercial and employment disputes for more than 35 years, and is a trusted advisor to business owners and in-house counsel both in the United States and internationally. His clients have included Fortune 100 companies, domestic and foreign commercial and investment banks, Pacific-rim corporations and real estate development companies, as well as start-up businesses throughout the United States.
AMY EPSTEIN GLUCK
Amy Epstein Gluck has represented individuals and corporate clients in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and various federal district courts for more than twenty years. Ms. Epstein Gluck’s current practice areas include employment law—advising on and drafting employment agreements; handling employment negotiations, severance agreements, noncompete and nondisclosure agreements, “wrongful terminations” and other EEO matters; representation at the EEOC level; advising employers about discrimination laws and how to remain in compliance, and employment negotiations.
