Endless Medical Leaves? Not So Fast…
Managing employee medical leaves can be one of the most confusing challenges for California employers. You want to support your team, but what happens when the time off just keeps getting extended, with no clear return date? The good news: California law does not require you to grant indefinite leave as a reasonable accommodation. A recent Court of Appeal decision, Manos v. J. Paul Getty Trust , reinforces this important principle under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). What the Law Requires When employees exhaust protected leave under the FMLA, CFRA, or other laws, employers still need to consider whether the ADA or FEHA require additional accommodations. Sometimes that means more unpaid leave—but only if there’s a real expectation that the time off will help the employee return to work. The law is clear: Leave may be a reasonable accommodation if it’s likely to allow the employee to come back and perform the essential functions of their position. Employers are not req...