DENVER, Dec. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reed Group released a white paper today titled "Today's Multi-Million Dollar Question: When Must an Employer Provide Leave as an ADA Reasonable Accommodation?" to assist employers in understanding leaves of absence as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Heretofore an overwhelming, complex topic with little or no professional guidance available, leaves as an accommodation under ADA are no longer a mystery for employers and professionals dealing with U.S. employee populations.

Building on existing guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), relevant court cases and industry experts and professionals, Reed Group's white paper provides the industry's only insight, direction and best practice suggestions for employers including:

• A process for determining if a leave of absence is an appropriate accommodation;
• A consistent, repeatable methodology for determining whether the leave of absence will cause undue hardship (and therefor may not be a required accommodation for employees);
• Relevant case analysis and perspective from the EEOC; and
• Simple, workable processes and forms employers can roll out for handling employees' leave requests in the future.

The white paper also addresses medical information as support for leave as an accommodation, compares ADA accommodation and FMLA leave, and suggests actionable steps for employers to incorporate the best and most effective processes within their company.

Complying with employment-related laws to effectively manage a workforce often creates demanding challenges for employers. In recent years, the EEOC has focused on employers who systematically terminate employees in certain situations without considering leave of absence as an accommodation under the ADA. This white paper seeks to ease this challenge and help employers improve their overall leave management and return-to-work processes, benefiting both employees and the company.

"The release of Reed Group's white paper is timely as employers face increasing uncertainty related to the absence of specific parameters from the EEOC on accommodating employees with leaves under the ADA," said Marcia Carruthers, CEO/President, of the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC). "As known experts in leave of absence and return-to-work management, our association views Reed Group's white paper as a useful resource to assist HR managers and employers in understanding and analyzing the appropriateness of leave of absence requests as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA in reference to specific situations that may exist at their organizations."

Employers seeking guidance on providing leave of absence as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA can visit Reed Group to download "Today's Multi-Million Dollar Question:  When Must an Employer Provide Leave as an ADA Reasonable Accommodation?"

About Reed Group
Reed Group is the recognized leader in helping organizations reduce the cost, compliance risk and complexity of employee absence. The company's products and services address FMLA, ADA, state and other leave laws, workers' compensation, and short- and long-term disability programs. Headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, Reed Group has been a trusted partner to employers, insurers, TPAs, government organizations, attorneys, and health care providers for over 35 years. Reed Group's world-class team of clinical and absence management experts help organizations deploy Reed Group products and services to improve employee health and productivity. For more information, visit www.reedgroup.com.

SOURCE Reed Group