Service Animals In The Workplace California

But what about comfort animals such as pigs snakes birds or cats.

Service animals in the workplace california. Guides people who are blind. Service animals are working animals not pets. A support animal sometimes called a comfort animal is one that provides emotional cognitive or other similar support to a person with a disability including but not limited to a traumatic brain injury or a mental disability such as major depression.

Depending on the type of work some workplaces may be exempt from allowing service animals in the workplace. When an employee with a disability requests the use of a service animal at work the ADA grants the right to an employer to request medical documentation to support the need for the accommodation if the need is not otherwise obvious. What they might not know though is that the laws governing service animals in the workplace are well a bit hairier.

Perez By Andrea L. The ADA provides that service dogs can be in the workplace as a reasonable accommodation. These workplaces must provide alternative accommodations for the person with a disability to obtain use and benefit from the providers goods or services.

The concept of a support dog or other animal as a possible accommodation is unique to California. Arrow Benefits Group 1465 N. 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.

Service animals in todays society can provide medical assistance for many types of human disabilities and medical conditions. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the persons disability. California law allows persons with disabilities to bring service dogs and emotional support animals to work with some limitations.

In the employment context the statutory schemes that require reasonable accommodation for disabilities are the California Fair Employment and Housing Act FEHA and the Americans With Disabilities Act ADA. This post was authored by Jennifer Rosner. What is a service animal.