Service Animals In The Workplace California

Both the ADA and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act FEHA prohibit discrimination on the.

Service animals in the workplace california. Alerts people who are hearing impaired. Of course the service animal must be well behaved and not disruptive to the workplace remaining on a leash if it does not hamper the dogs service. In that case the person must use voice signal or other effective means to maintain control of the animal.

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. That said California rules do allow employers to set the following limits on the use of all assistive animals in the workplace. These workplaces must provide alternative accommodations for the person with a disability to obtain use and benefit from the providers goods or services.

Most people are familiar with service animalstypically dogsthat assist people with disabilities at home and at work. Like a wheelchair they are an extension of the person with a disability providing a valuable. But what about comfort animals such as pigs snakes birds or cats.

The concept of a support dog or other animal as a possible accommodation is unique to California. Service animals are working animals not pets. McDowell Suite 180 Petaluma CA 94954 Tel.

This post was authored by Jennifer Rosner. Fellion and Patti C. Service Animals in the Workplace and the Law.

What they might not know though is that the laws governing service animals in the workplace are well a bit hairier. The service animal must be harnessed leashed or tethered while in public places unless these devices interfere with the service animals work or the persons disability prevents use of these devices. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the persons disability.