According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ 2025 Workplace Mental Health Poll, with one in four employees considering leaving a job because of mental health concerns, employers face growing pressure to create workplaces that are both supportive and legally compliant.
“Requests for mental health-related accommodations are on the rise,” said Jim O’Connor, a partner and member of the Labor and Employment team at the law firm Phillips Lytle. “There is an increase in employer awareness of mental health, and many employers are taking proactive steps to encourage employees to take care of their mental health and to communicate about their potential needs for accommodations.”
To create a workplace culture that is both supportive and legally compliant when it comes to employee mental health, O’Connor says it starts with good management and proper training.
“Showing an interest in your employees’ physical and mental wellness is important, but employers should work closely with counsel to avoid unintentional violations of anti-discrimination and privacy laws,” he said.
When an employee discloses a mental health condition, employers may also have obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the federal law that prohibits disability discrimination in the workplace and requires reasonable accommodations for qualifying employees.
O’Connor noted that not every employee with a mental health condition will need an accommodation. However, employers are generally...
WASHINGTON, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This release is issued by King & Spalding: The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that New York Packaging II LLC, doing business as Redi-Bag USA,...