Employment Discrimination

Employment can help promote recovery. Employment services are part of recovery planning. It is essential that persons in recovery understand their legal rights in all phases of the employment process.

State and federal laws protect qualified persons with a disability from discrimination in the workplace.  You have a right not to be discriminated against because of your disability.

This is not a preference.   It is about ensuring that a qualified person with a disability has equal rights — and that a person’s disability is not a barrier to employment.

Who is Covered?

You are protected if you are a qualified individual with a disability and you are able to perform all of the essential job functions of the position sought or held.  A qualified disability is one that substantially limits a major life activity.  You also have a covered disability if you have a medical record of having a disability or if the employer regarded you as disabled.

Employers with three or more employees are covered under the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act. Employers with fifteen or more employees are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Employers who receive federal financial assistance are covered by the Rehabilitation Act.

Prohibited Discrimination

Covered employers are prohibited from discriminating against you because of your disability. Prohibited discrimination includes:

1. Discrimination in the application and hiring process.
2. Asking about your disability on the application or in the initial interview.
3. Failing to reasonably accommodate a known disability in the application, interview or hiring.
4. Firing you because of your disability.
5. Taking any other adverse job action because of your disability.
6. Failing to reasonably accommodate your disability or to engage in the interactive process once you request a reasonable accommodation

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