Compliance Stuff

As return-to-office mandates rise, so, too, do employee requests for telework accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). On February 11, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released  guidance  titled “Frequently Asked Questions from the Federal Sector about Telework Accommodations for Disabilities” (FAQs), which address federal government agencies’ rights and obligations regarding providing, modifying, and denying telework as a reasonable accommodation for federal employees with disabilities under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Although the EEOC issued the guidance in the federal-sector context in the wake of President Donald Trump’s  directive  that federal agencies return employees to full-time, in-person work, the FAQs reflect principles that apply equally to private employers under the ADA. 00:00 10:45 Quick Hits The EEOC issued FAQs to assist federal agencies in implementing President Trump’s return-to-of...

  Takeaway:   This case highlights the importance of engaging in a detailed interactive process with employees when handling accommodation requests. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decided that an employer could not require an employee with a disability to accept telework as a reasonable accommodation when the employee would rather work in person at the office. The plaintiff worked as an economist in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Office of Science & Technology. He long experienced severe allergies that resulted in bleeding, itchy skin, rashes, face and arm swelling, and difficulty breathing, seeing, walking, and sleeping . For about 10 years, he worked in a private office at the EPA. After an office reshuffling in 2007, he worked from home for months before being moved to a cubicle. At that time, he sued, claiming that the EPA failed to accommodate his allergies . He lost that claim for failure to provide requested medic...