Service Animals In The Workplace California
Prior to the amendment employers would associate a support animal with a guide dog or other service dogs such as a trained seizure alert dog.
Service animals in the workplace california. Fellion and Patti C. Service animals are working animals not pets. The animal must be free from offensive orders and display habits that are conducive to a professional workplaceeg it cannot urinate or defecate everywhere.
But what about comfort animals such as pigs snakes birds or cats. For additional information see JANs Just-In-Time Training Module. Thanks to Californias Fair Employment and Housing Act job applicants and employees are protected from discrimination in the workplace due to a physical or mental medical disorder that is disabling potentially.
McDowell Suite 180 Petaluma CA 94954 Tel. Fellion and Patti C. If a service animal becomes too much of a disruption a workplace retains the ability to claim undue.
Assistive animals differ from what employers may already come expect when accommodating an employees disability. Advancements in animal training and alternative medical treatments mean that animals today can be much more than just pets. Service animals are not pets.
That said California rules do allow employers to set the following limits on the use of all assistive animals in the workplace. Service animals in todays society can provide medical assistance for many types of human disabilities and medical conditions. As for documentation for service animals in the workplace the ADA does allow for an employer to request medical documentation for the need for the disabled person to need this accommodation.
In that case the person must use voice signal or other effective means to maintain control of the animal. Depending on the type of work some workplaces may be exempt from allowing service animals in the workplace. Under the employment part of the ADA title I there are no specific guidelines for employers to follow when an individual with a disability wants to use a service animal in the workplace.