Sessions

Grappling with accommodation of mental disabilities can be an HR professional's toughest challenge. This session will address best practices for accommodating mental disabilities in the workplace, including psychiatric disabilities involving mood and anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, and developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder. This session will ensure that you understand the key legal distinction between the stigmas associated with mental illness versus a situation that presents an actual threat of harm. The session will also provide practical advice and strategies for recognizing when an employee might be entitled to accommodation and ensuring employers meet their obligation to engage in the interactive process and provide reasonable accommodation to employees with mental disabilities. You will learn:

• How to apply the reasonable accommodation obligations of the disability laws to employees with common mental disabilities, such as psychiatric disabilities involving mood and anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, and developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder.
• How to audit your company's reasonable accommodation policies to ensure legal compliance and mitigate risk.
• How properly accommodating common disabilities impacts culture, employee engagement and the financial bottom line of the company.
• How to apply ethical practice to accommodating mental disabilities in the workplace.