During the Covid-19 pandemic, many employers moved large parts of their workforce to remote work as a temporary emergency measure. Now that most workplaces have returned to in-person or hybrid schedules, employees and their attorneys may point to those pandemic-era arrangements to request remote work as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This presentation explains how a request for remote work fits within the ADA’s reasonable accommodation framework. It covers why the interactive process and an individualized assessment of each employee’s position remain central, and how courts and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) have treated an employer’s temporary pandemic-era remote work policies as evidence about essential job functions. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for evaluating these requests, documenting legitimate business reasons for in-person work, and lowering legal risk without losing operational flexibility.

SHRM Learning Objectives

• Understand the basics of the ADA accommodation process and how it applies to requests for remote work.

• Learn how to evaluate remote work requests on an individual basis, analyzing the employee’s role and current business needs.

• Recognize how courts and the EEOC have viewed pandemic-era remote work and accommodation requests for remote work following a return to in-person or hybrid schedules.

• Identify best practices for documenting the importance of in-person work, when necessary.

• Learn how to build forward-looking policies and frameworks that reduce the risk of ADA violations.

Speaker: Savannah Kingery

Speaker Bio:

Savannah Kingery advises employers on a wide range of labor and employment matters, helping them navigate complex federal and state employment laws and regulations. 

She advises clients on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and Virginia employment laws.

She also represents companies in litigation matters in federal and state courts. She provides human resources advice and counseling, including the development of company policies, drafting employment handbooks and preparing employment contracts.

Savannah earned her Juris Doctor degree from William & Mary Law School, where she served as the president of the International Law Society, the vice president of the Comparative Legal Student Scholars, and was a member of the William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal. Savannah earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Centre College.

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Meeting Agenda:

11:30am - Doors Open for Lunch & Networking 

11:40am - Chapter Announcements

11:50am - Sponsor Announcement

12:00pm - Presentation begins

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Thank you to our sponsor!