Service Animals In The Workplace California
On the other hand federal law defines an emotional support animal by exclusion.
Service animals in the workplace california. Prior to the amendment employers would associate a support animal with a guide dog or other service dogs such as a trained seizure alert dog. Service Animals in the Workplace and the Law. Service animals are working animals not pets.
Most people are familiar with service animalstypically dogsthat assist people with disabilities at home and at work. Fellion and Patti C. This post was authored by Jennifer Rosner.
Advancements in animal training and alternative medical treatments mean that animals today can be much more than just pets. The new definitions no longer use the same definition as at Civil Code section 54110 which specifically states that support animals. What they might not know though is that the laws governing service animals in the workplace are well a bit hairier.
The cost to train a service animal can vary from 20000 to 50000. How to interact with a person who has a service animal. Assistive animals differ from what employers may already come expect when accommodating an employees disability.
The concept of a support dog or other animal as a possible accommodation is unique to California. Service animals in todays society can provide medical assistance for many types of human disabilities and medical conditions. These workplaces must provide alternative accommodations for the person with a disability to obtain use and benefit from the providers goods or services.
The ADA provides that service dogs can be in the workplace as a reasonable accommodation. The animal must be free from offensive orders and display habits that are conducive to a professional workplaceeg it cannot urinate or defecate everywhere. 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.