When does mentioning a medical condition actually trigger ADA protections? Court weighs in

A federal appeals court just handed HR departments a roadmap for distinguishing between disability accommodations and run-of-the-mill safety complaints.

The Eighth Circuit ruling, issued February 12, makes clear that not every workplace dispute involving an employee's health condition qualifies as disability discrimination. The decision offers a practical lesson for HR teams navigating the murky waters between the Americans with Disabilities Act and standard workplace safety protocols.

Donald Stephens arrived for his Saturday shift on February 27, 2021, to do his job as a truck operator. Instead, he found himself in the middle of a staffing mess. The technician and safety workers who were supposed to handle the underground tank cleaning hadn't shown up, and the site supervisor was getting impatient.

When the supervisor asked Stephens to start the work himself, Stephens pushed back. He wasn't a technician, he said, and pointed out the missing safety gear: no hazmat suits, no harnesses, no air monitors, no respirators. Even after safety workers arrived and tried to persuade him, Stephens refused. That's when he mentioned having a heart condition he didn't want to make worse.

The supervisor ended up tackling the first tank himself but ran out of steam. He demanded Stephens clean the second tank and threatened to get him fired if he didn't. Stephens relented.

Come Monday, the company...

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