Opinion ID: 1822704
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: issue onelirc's interpretation of reasonable accommodation without hardship and ability to undertake job responsibilities

Text: ¶ 31. As noted previously, Wis. Stat. § 111.34 states: Disability; exceptions and special cases (1) Employment discrimination because of disability includes, but is not limited to: . . . . (b) Refusing to reasonably accommodate an employee's or prospective employee's disability unless the employer can demonstrate that the accommodation would pose a hardship on the employer's program, enterprise or business. (2)(a) Notwithstanding s. 111.322, it is not employment discrimination because of disability to refuse to hire, employ, admit or license any individual, to bar or terminate from employment, membership or licensure any individual, or to discriminate against any individual in promotion, compensation or in terms, conditions or privileges of employment if the disability is reasonably related to the individual's ability to adequately undertake the job-related responsibilities of that individual's employment, membership or licensure. ¶ 32. The statutory language of Wis. Stat. § 111.34 requires that an employer must show the individual's disability is reasonably related to the individual's ability to adequately undertake the job-related responsibilities of that individual's employment . . . . Wis. Stat. § 111.34(2)(a). However, an employer violates the WFEA if it refuses to reasonably accommodate an employee's disability without demonstrating that the accommodation would be a hardship on it. Wis. Stat. § 111.34(1)(b). Taken together, § 111.34(1)(b) and (2)(a) require an employer to prove that even with reasonable accommodations, the employee would not be able to perform his or her job responsibilities adequately or that, where reasonable accommodations would enable the employee to do the job, hardship would be placed on the employer. Target, 217 Wis. 2d at 17.
¶ 33. Crystal Lake argues that LIRC's interpretation of reasonable accommodation under the WFEA is unreasonable and erroneous. The WFEA does not define reasonable accommodation or the extent to which an accommodation may be required for a disabled employee. Moreover, Crystal Lake contends that there is little guidance from Wisconsin's appellate courts regarding the scope of reasonable accommodation under the WFEA. See id. at 17. Relying on Target, [11] Crystal Lake argues that eliminating the duties of an employee's position is not an accommodation that enables the disabled employee to adequately undertake job-related responsibilities of her employment. ¶ 34. Crystal Lake maintains that neither LIRC, nor Catlin's expert, suggests that there is any such accommodation that would have allowed Catlin to do her job. Instead, Crystal Lake claims that LIRC required Crystal Lake to excuse Catlin from those duties she could no longer perform, essentially creating a new job. Under the statutory language of the WFEA, Crystal Lake argues that an employee must be able to adequately undertake the job-related responsibilities of [the] individual's employment. . . . Wis. Stat. § 111.34(2)(a). [12] ¶ 35. Next, Crystal Lake argues that the legislature's use of the definite article, the in Wis. Stat. § 111.34(2)(a), without modification, can only be reasonably interpreted to mean all of the functions that make up the job. The use of the article the, Crystal Lake contends, is contrary to the interpretation adopted by the court of appeals in this case, where the court found that as long as the employee could perform some of the job-related responsibilities, the employer is obligated reasonably to accommodate the employee by eliminating those tasks which the employee can no longer do. Crystal Lake Cheese Factory v. LIRC, 2002 WI App 290, ¶ 26, 28-29, 258 Wis. 2d 414, 654 N.W.2d 286. ¶ 36. Crystal Lake contends that this court should look to analogous federal statutes and the Wisconsin Personnel Commission in interpreting reasonable accommodation, even though neither the court, nor LIRC, is bound by those decisions in interpreting Wis. Stat. § 111.34(1)(b) and (2)(a). See Target, 217 Wis. 2d at 18-19; Kannenberg, 213 Wis. 2d at 387. In support of its argument, Crystal Lake points out that federal courts have routinely held that reasonable accommodation does not require an employer to eliminate job duties, create a new job, or employ others to perform functions that a disabled employee cannot perform. Peters v. City of Mauston, 311 F.3d 835, 845-846 (7th Cir. 2002); Watson v. Lithonia Lighting, 304 F.3d 749, 752 (7th Cir. 2002). Consequently, Crystal Lake asks us to find that the WFEA's reasonable accommodation provision does not require an employer to create a new position for a disabled employee. [13] ¶ 37. Catlin disagrees and argues that the court should not read federal legislation into the intent of Wisconsin's legislators. Instead, Catlin maintains that the WFEA should be interpreted in accordance with our legislature's intention rather than with the intention of other jurisdictions. McMullen v. LIRC, 148 Wis. 2d 270, 275-76, 434 N.W.2d 830, 833 (Ct. App. 1988). Wisconsin has determined that while federal and other states' cases applying similar legislation may be enlightening to the WFEA cases, they are not binding upon Wisconsin courts. Id. Thus, Catlin argues that while this court may consider how federal courts have dealt with the question of reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), since the WFEA is similar, but not identical, guidance is limited as to the determination of what is reasonable under the WFEA. In support of its position, Catlin argues that there are significant differences in statutory language between the WFEA and the ADA. See McMullen, 148 Wis. 2d at 275. Catlin points out that the ADA requires an employer to make reasonable accommodations only to the disability of a qualified individual with a disability and a qualified individual with a disability is an individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable accommodation can perform the essential functions of the employment position that such individual holds . . . . See 42 U.S.C §§ 12111(8) [12] and 12112(5)(A). [13] The WFEA, Catlin contends, requires an employer reasonably to accommodate an employee's disability, but an individual with a disability is not limited to an individual who can perform the essential functions of the employment position with or without accommodation. See Wis. Stat. §§ 111.32(8) [14] and 111.34(1)(b). ¶ 38. Moreover, Catlin argues that under the ADA analysis, it is not even clear that the tasks that Catlin could no longer perform were considered essential functions of her position. Catlin points out that as the department head, her primary responsibility was to process orders and do inventory sheetstasks which she could still perform. Furthermore, Catlin asserts that Crystal Lake has offered no case law, under the ADA, that says an individual must be able to perform all functions of four different positions, or they will not be considered a qualified individual with a disability entitled to protections under the law. ¶ 39. Catlin argues that even if the ADA is considered when applying the WFEA, it makes no difference since the ADA requires an employer to engage in an interactive process with an employee to determine a reasonable accommodation, and that in the present case, no such process was undertaken. To determine the appropriate reasonable accommodation it may be necessary for the covered entity to initiate an informal interactive process with the qualified individual with a disability in need of the accommodation. This process should identify the precise limitations resulting from the disability and potential reasonable accommodations that could overcome those limitations. 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(o)(3) 1995. [15] Again, no such interactive process took place here. Catlin points out that Crystal Lake never inquired of her as to what accommodations she needed. Catlin argues that this failure violated the intent of the WFEA as well. Furthermore, Catlin argues that under the ADA, determining whether a function is essential includes determining whether removing the function would fundamentally alter that position if the position exists to perform a particular function, if there are other employees available to perform that function, and the amount of time spent performing the function. Americans With Disabilities Act Handbook, p. I-38, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and U.S. Department of Justice (1992). Even under this analysis, Catlin contends, it is not clear whether the few tasks Catlin was no longer able to do, even with accommodations, qualified as essential functions or marginal functions. Her position was not the cutter position nor was it the cryovacer position. ¶ 40. Crystal Lake argues that all Catlin's job functions were essential, and that not only is Catlin required to perform all the functions of her position, but it is also essential that she be able to perform all the functions of all the other employees in the department, no matter what their primary role is. Catlin argues that Crystal Lake's comment that nothing in the WFEA's legislative history suggests an intent to construe the duty of `reasonable accommodation' differently than under the ADA is similarly unpersuasive, given that the WFEA's disability provisions predate the ADA by almost ten years. ¶ 41. In summary, Catlin argues that Crystal Lake is inappropriately attempting to move this case from the protections of the WFEA, and instead apply an analysis used under the ADA. The ADA distinguishes between essential and marginal functions, but the term essential functions has no particular meaning under the WFEA. Target, 217 Wis. 2d at 16-17 n.9. ¶ 42. Under the WFEA a complainant must first show that he or she is an individual with a disability within the meaning of Wis. Stat. § 111.32(8), and that the employer took one of the actions enumerated in Wis. Stat. § 111.322. [16] Target, 217 Wis. 2d at 9. ¶ 43. Once a disability has been proven by the employee, the burden then shifts to the employer to prove a defense under Wis. Stat. § 111.34. Id. ¶ 44. In this case, there is no dispute among the parties that Catlin was disabled within the meaning of the WFEA, or that she was not allowed to return to work because of her disability. Also, it is uncontested that Catlin's disability was reasonably related to her adequately performing her job responsibilities, unless reasonable accommodations were made. The question remains whether, with reasonable accommodations Catlin must then be able to perform all of the job-related responsibilities adequately. Also left in question is whether or not there was a reasonable accommodation that Crystal Lake could have provided Catlin without hardship. Under LIRC's interpretation of reasonable accommodation, it found that Crystal Lake could have modified Catlin's job duties to accommodate her disability. Catlin contends that a reviewing court may not make an independent determination of the facts, [17] and that the decision of LIRC should not be set aside unless it can be shown that the decision was not supported by substantial evidence. Id. at 11 (citing Hamilton v. ILHR Dept., 94 Wis. 2d 611, 617, 288 N.W.2d 857, 860 (1980)). Crystal Lake, however, contends that this interpretation is unreasonable because it is being forced to create a new job to accommodate a disabled employee. ¶ 45. LIRC determined that Crystal Lake should modify Catlin's job duties and make physical modifications to the plant as a reasonable accommodation. Crystal Lake argues that, in this case, LIRC's interpretation of reasonable accommodation is unreasonable. Under Crystal Lake's alternate interpretation, an employer would only be required to assist an employee with his or her job responsibilities if there is some reasonable accommodation that will enable the employee to undertake all of his or her job duties. Crystal Lake argues that an employer would not be required to modify an employee's duties, or to exempt an employee from having to perform certain duties. Crystal Lake relies heavily on federal court decisions under the ADA in support of its interpretation. The basis for using the ADA in interpreting reasonable accommodation is, according to Crystal Lake, due to the similarity in language and purpose of the federal statute to the WFEA. Crystal Lake asserts that physical modifications to the plant and/or modification to Catlin's duties would have posed a hardship for the company. Catlin takes the position that Crystal Lake failed in meeting its burden of proving hardship.
¶ 46. Though this court may look to federal law for guidance in determining if LIRC's interpretation of reasonable accommodation was reasonable, we are not bound by those cases in interpreting the WFEA. Id. at 18-19; McMullen, 148 Wis. 2d at 275-76. See also American Motors Corp. v. ILHR Dep't, 101 Wis. 2d 337, 353, 305 N.W.2d 62 (1981). The WFEA is a remedial statute . . . [and] should be broadly interpreted to resolve the problem it was designed to address. McMullen, 148 Wis. 2d at 275. Also, the statutory language and scheme contained in the analogous . . . federal legislation differ[s], sometimes significantly, from that found in sec. 111.34(1)(b). . . . Our [The Wisconsin] legislature has established its own scheme for dealing with employment discrimination based on handicap and has articulated the specific policy considerations underlying that scheme. Therefore, we will construe sec. 111.34(1)(b) in accordance with our legislature's intention rather than with the intention of other jurisdictions. McMullen, 148 Wis. 2d at 275-276. Clearly, this court is not bound by federal law in determining whether LIRC's interpretation of reasonable accommodation was appropriate. ¶ 47. The court of appeals has previously addressed the issue of interpretation of reasonable accommodation in both Target and McMullen. In each case, the court of appeals held that a reasonable accommodation was not limited to only an accommodation that would permit the employee to perform all of his or her job responsibilities. ¶ 48. In Target, the court upheld a decision by LIRC to temporarily refrain from enforcing a disciplinary rule against an employee as a reasonable accommodation. Target, 217 Wis. 2d at 18. The employee was unable, due to sleep apnea, to stay awake at times while performing her job duties. Id. at 5-6. LIRC determined that it was unreasonable to fire the employee without allowing time to see if treatment of the condition would correct the problem. Id. at 8-9. The employee's sleep apnea was reasonably related to her ability to perform adequately her job responsibilities. However, the court upheld LIRC's decision as a reasonable accommodation, even though it did not immediately allow her to perform adequately her job duties. Id. at 16-18. ¶ 49. Similarly, in McMullen, the court of appeals required an employer to transfer an employee to a different position as a reasonable accommodation of the employee's disability. The court held that a `reasonable accommodation' may include a transfer of a handicapped employee to another position for which he is qualified, depending on the facts of each individual case. McMullen, 148 Wis. 2d at 271. This accommodation also did not allow the employee to perform his current job duties, but instead placed him in a job better suited to his current abilities. It was essentially a change or modification in the employee's job-related responsibilities. ¶ 50. In Frito Lay, Inc. v. LIRC , despite the fact that it was decided before the legislature added the reasonable accommodation requirement to the WFEA, the court of appeals held that arrangements made among other employees to accommodate one employee's disability, negated the employer's claim of an exception to the law against employment discrimination based on disability. Frito Lay, Inc. v. LIRC, 95 Wis. 2d 395, 407-08, 290 N.W.2d 551 (Ct. App. 1980). In that case, Frito Lay employed drivers, including the complainant, to make both interstate and intrastate deliveries from its warehouse in Beloit. Id. at 399. The complainant was a truck driver whose lack of visual acuity barred him because Wisconsin and Federal requirements differed for interstate, but not intrastate deliveries. Id. Delivery runs were allocated based on seniority, and all drivers senior to the complainant agreed to ensure that he had only intrastate runs. Id. The court held that this accommodation did not allow the employer to discharge the complainant for failing to meet the federal (interstate) vision requirements. Id. at 408. ¶ 51. In this case, at least two of the three other employees in Catlin's department agreed that it would be feasible for them to accommodate a change in Catlin's duties because of her disability. This further supports the reasonableness, under Frito Lay and the current WFEA, of such a job modification. [18] ¶ 52. Based on the prior decisions in Target, McMullen, and Frito Lay, we hold that LIRC's interpretation of reasonable accommodation is not unreasonable, but rather is a reasonable one. A reasonable accommodation is not limited to that which would allow the employee to perform adequately all of his or her job duties. A change in job duties may be a reasonable accommodation in a given circumstance. See Target, 217 Wis. 2d 1; McMullen, 148 Wis. 2d 270. As we have determined LIRC's interpretation to be reasonable, under the great weight standard of review, we must, therefore, defer to LIRC's conclusion. [19] ¶ 53. While we are satisfied that LIRC's finding of no hardship also deserves great weight deference, and is correct, we reserve a thorough discussion of the hardship issue for our review of issue three.