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APRIL 29, 2015
WHAT'S NEW
EMPLOYER SPOTLIGHT
DiversityInc Releases Annual List of Top Companies for
Diversity and Disability
DiversityInc—an Employer TA Center partner—released its list of 2015
“Top 50 Companies for Diversity” last week at an event in New York City
PepsiCo
attracting more than 900 senior executives. Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Corporation took the top spot for the second time. Also released were 13
lists for select specialty areas, including a “Top 10 Companies for People
with Disabilities,” which was capped for the fourth year in a row by Ernst &
This case study uses the example
of one high-performing PepsiCo
computer programmer to highlight
the critical role communication and
Young.
Read more about the event and rankings.
mutual respect play in ensuring
employees with disabilities can
thrive on the job. To start, the
individual came to his interview
EEOC Issues Proposed Rule Regarding Employee Wellness
Programs
fully knowledgeable of the software
PepsiCo used and shared how he
would perform his job using
assistive technology (AT). After he
Last week, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published
a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding how the Americans with
Disabilities Act applies to wellness programs that are offered as part of
employers’ group health plans. Employers and other members of the public
was offered and accepted the job,
PepsiCo arranged to have the AT
tools in place starting on day one.
are invited to provide comments on the proposed rule by June 19.
Read the PepsiCo case study.
Learn more about the EEOC’s proposed rule, including how to submit
comments.
ASKEARN.ORG SPOTLIGHT
Mental Health Month is Just Around the Corner
Mental Health Month starts in just a few days, and employers and other
organizations across the country are encouraged to participate. Held
annually in May, this public awareness campaign aims to increase
understanding of and eliminate stigma associated with mental health
disabilities. Mental Health America offers a range of resources to help in
planning workplace and community-based events and observances.
Learn more about how to participate in Mental Health Month.
JAN Twitter Chat Addresses Personal Assistants as
Accommodations
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) recently hosted a Twitter chat on
personal assistants as reasonable accommodations, spurring many
questions from both employees and employers ranging from what
constitutes a personal assistant to whose responsibility it is to provide one.
For anyone who missed the event or wishes to learn more about the topic,
JAN offers a wealth of information on its website.
Read JAN’s publication on Personal Assistance Services in the Workplace.
Federal Absence and
Disability Management
Policies
Employers incur significant direct
and indirect costs as a result of
employee absenteeism, which is
linked to low levels of staff morale
and productivity. Thus, it behooves
them to implement effective
absence and disability
management policies. This policy
brief draws upon research from
both the public and private sectors
to examine common causes of
excessive absenteeism and
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
effective strategies for reducing it.
Stay at Work/Return to Work
MAY 12, 2:00 – 3:00 PM EST
WEBCAST
Read Federal Absence and
Disability Management Policies.
This Job Accommodation Network (JAN) webcast will address Return-toWork and Stay-at-Work programs, which help employees continue or
resume working following the onset of a disability through job changes
and/or accommodations. It will be moderated by the Office of Disability
Employment Policy’s Susan Picerno, and the presenters will be JAN
consultants Elisabeth Simpson and Lisa Mathess, who will discuss the
benefits of Return-to-Work and Stay-at-Work programs and their role in
broader disability management initiatives.
Register for Stay at Work/Return to Work.
Pregnancy and Related Issues in the Workplace
JUNE 9, 2:00 - 3:00 PM EST
WEBCAST
Some women may need work adjustments in order to continue working
during pregnancy, but employers’ obligations to provide them under the
Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Americans with Disabilities Act have
never been completely clear. This Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
webcast will address these issues, and feature presentations by JAN Lead
Consultant Tracie DeFreitas and attorney Jeff Nowak, a nationally
recognized leader on related topics.
Register for Pregnancy and Related Issues in the Workplace.
The Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) is a resource for employers seeking to recruit, hire, retain and advance qualified
employees with disabilities. It is a service of the National Employer Policy, Research and Technical Assistance Center for Employers on the
Employment of People with Disabilities (Employer TA Center), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability
Employment Policy under a cooperative agreement with The Viscardi Center. For more information, visit AskEARN.org
Preparation of this material was funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, Grant No. [OD-26451-1475-4-36]. This document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of
Labor, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.