Human Resource Blog

Rehabilitation Act in Louisiana

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What should employers in Louisiana know about the Rehabilitation Act?

The Rehabilitation Act is a federal Act that is in place for workers in states across the country and their employers. When an employer is covered by the Act, the employer should not discriminate against employees for reasons that are based on the disabilities of the employees, if applicable.

Not all employers are covered by the Act in any state, including Louisiana. In fact, in order to be covered, the employer needs to meet at least one of the following criteria:

·         The employer should be a federal government agency, office, or contractor in any branch of the government that receives federal funds

·         The employer should be a local or state government agency, office, or contractor in any branch that receives federal funds

·         Educational institutions may be covered if they receive federal funds

·         Public and private employers may be covered if they receive federal funds

Covered employers are prohibited from discriminating against employees for reasons that are directly based on the disability during any employment-related period, such as the following:

·         Hiring

·         Staffing

·         Promoting

·         Training

·         Terminating

·         Compensating

Also, employers may have to make special accommodations for employees that have disabilities.

Employees are covered if they have physical or mental disabilities with a record of having these disabilities. For example, a physical disability might be a visual impairment or a missing limb. A mental disability could be depression or an anxiety disorder.

Also, some employers will have to take affirmative action to hire workers with disabilities. For example, if an employer has a contract worth at least $10,000, the employer should take affirmative action to hire workers with disabilities. If an employer has a contract worth at least $50,000, the employer should have a written affirmative action plan to hire workers with disabilities. CB