The ADA shapes how employers handle disability and benefits.
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits disability discrimination in employment and affects accommodations, medical inquiries and wellness programs.
The Basics for Employers.
A plain-English summary. This is general information, not legal advice, and the rules change, so check the current text.
Who It Covers
The employment provisions generally apply to employers with 15 or more employees.
Reasonable Accommodation
Employers must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees unless doing so causes undue hardship.
Wellness Programs
Wellness programs that ask health questions or require medical exams must be voluntary and follow the EEOC rules.
How it plays out.
The ADA applies to employers with 15 or more employees. It bars discrimination based on disability and requires reasonable accommodation unless it would cause undue hardship. In benefits, the main issues are equal access and wellness programs.
A plan can have limits, such as caps on certain services, if they apply equally and are not a way around the law. Employers should be careful about benefit decisions that single out a condition or a covered person.
Wellness programs raise the most questions: how much medical information is collected, what incentive is allowed and whether participation is voluntary. These rules have changed through guidance, so check the current position.
Where This Shows Up in Your Plan.
Caregiver Support, Sick Time and Paid Leave: Benefits That Work With Your Health Plan
How leave and sick-time policies fit alongside your health plan.
Employer Benefits Guides: Eligibility, Plan Design, Life Events and Rules
Eligibility, plan design and life-event rules in one place.
Reviewing benefits.
Check Plan Terms
Look for limits that single out a condition.
Review Wellness Features
Confirm participation is voluntary.
Protect Medical Data
Keep medical information separate from personnel files.
Plan Accommodations
Set a process for accommodation requests.
Mistakes to avoid.
Required Medical Tests
Making them mandatory is a risk.
Penalizing Non-Participation
Incentives need careful design.
Mixing Records
Keep medical records separate.
Other Rules Employers Work With.
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
42 U.S.C. Chapter 21F
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
42 U.S.C. 2000e
Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act
MCL 37.2101
Laws and Rules Referenced
Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. Chapter 126) — The statute or rule text from its official or public source.
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