Opinion ID: 1822704
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: issue threesubstantial evidence reasonable accommodation without hardship

Text: ¶ 61. Crystal Lake argues that LIRC's factual findings lacked evidentiary support in the record. In holding that Crystal Lake could have accommodated Catlin without hardship, LIRC found that Catlin could still perform most of her duties. Crystal Lake counters that this finding is against the evidence in the record. It maintains its position that Catlin regularly performed several activities, which LIRC found Catlin did only infrequently. Crystal Lake maintains that it is critical that Catlin should be able to perform not only her regular tasks, but all tasks for all positions in the department. ¶ 62. Additionally, Crystal Lake asserts that the record does not support LIRC's finding that neither physical modifications to the plant, nor modifications to Catlin's duties, would have posed a hardship to the company. It points to the $47,000 estimate for a wheelchair-accessible restroom, as well as the other plant modifications, as proof of hardship. Crystal Lake points out that the court of appeals acknowledged that modifying Catlin's duties may lead to production slowdowns. Crystal Lake disagrees, however, with the court of appeals that Crystal Lake fell short of proving hardship when it failed to go further and ensure there was evidence in the record of the consequences of such slowdowns. ¶ 63. Catlin maintains that LIRC, in this instance, has determined that there was substantial evidence to support its determination that reasonable accommodations were appropriate for Crystal Lake to make. LIRC found that Catlin could perform most of her duties, and that the duties Crystal Lake argues Catlin could not perform were not her regular responsibilities. Under LIRC's interpretation of the statutes, as long as Catlin could perform some of her duties, which the record indicated she could, then there were reasonable accommodations that could and should have been made. Catlin felt that she would be able to perform most tasks that were part of her job with little or no accommodation. ¶ 64. Catlin asserts that Crystal Lake had no knowledge regarding what duties she was capable of performing, and never asked her what accommodations she thought she might need. Catlin contends that the WFEA has been found to include a duty to gather sufficient information from the employee and from qualified experts, as needed, to determine what accommodations are necessary. Keller v. UW-Milwaukee, No. 90-0140-PC-ER, (Wis. Personnel Comm'n. Mar. 19, 1993). Catlin argues that Crystal Lake failed to satisfy this duty. Crystal Lake was aware that Catlin had a disability and would require some sort of accommodation, but never approached her to inquire about what job duties she was capable of performing. Additionally, Catlin contends that Crystal Lake did not look at the possibility of transferring her to another position if it felt she could not adequately perform her job. She argues that such a transfer may also be a reasonable accommodation under the WFEA. Wis. Stat. § 111.34(1)(b). ¶ 65. She argues that with minor changes to the building and some assistive technology, she could have performed her job. Catlin asserts, and the Annis assessment points out, the easiest way to accommodate Catlin would have been to modify her job duties so that Catlin did not have to perform the more physically demanding tasks. Everyone in the department was cross-trained, and at least two of the three other team members acknowledged that they could make up for Catlin's restricted duties. ¶ 66. Based on the evidence contained in the record, Catlin argues that there was clearly a sufficient amount of credible evidence to support the findings of LIRC. ¶ 67. The complainant in a disability discrimination, under the WFEA, must show that: (1) he or she is handicapped under WFEA, and (2) that the employer has taken one of the enumerated, proscribed actions under the WFEA. Target, 217 Wis. 2d at 9. Once the complainant has made these two showings, the employer may proffer a defense that the accommodations named by the complainant would impose a hardship on the employer. Id. In such a case the employer has the burden of proving that hardship. Id. at 9-10. If the employer fails to prove this defense, it is in violation of WFEA.
¶ 68. Although Crystal Lake argues that reasonably accommodating Catlin would have resulted in a hardship for it, Catlin argues that Crystal Lake did not meet its burden of proving hardship pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 111.34(1)(b), nor did it meet its burden under Wis. Stat. § 111.34(2)(a). Target, 217 Wis. 2d at 10. [I]f an employer refuses to reasonably accommodate an employee's (or prospective employee's) handicap and is unable to demonstrate that the accommodation would pose a hardship, then the employer violates the WFEA. Wis. Stat. § 111.34(1)(b). Reading the two paragraphs of § 111.34 together, once the employee has met the first two showings, the employer must show either that a reasonable accommodation would impose a hardship § 111.34(1)(b), or that, even with a reasonable accommodation, the employee cannot adequately undertake the job-related responsibilities§ 111.34(2)(a). Id. ¶ 69. In support of her argument, Catlin points out that Crystal Lake did not offer any evidence showing that accommodating her would be a hardship for it. More specifically, Catlin points out that Crystal Lake offered no evidence showing that by exempting her from duties she could not perform it would suffer a hardship. Moreover, Catlin contends that Crystal Lake did not even explore accommodations it could have made for her, let alone show that any particular accommodation would impose a hardship upon it. Catlin states that the owner of Crystal Lake Cheese Factory, Curella, admitted as much in his testimony. Curella testified that he didn't make any effort whatsoever for what might be appropriate accommodations for [Catlin] to return to work . . . . (R. 14:4). ¶ 70. Furthermore, Catlin argues that restructuring her job duties would not have imposed a hardship on Crystal Lake since everyone in the four-person department was cross-trained in all tasks in the department, and that other members of the department were willing to perform the heavy physical tasks that Catlin could not do. The other department members did not object even if this meant they would get a disproportionate share of those duties. As noted previously, the other team members included Catlin's sister who already had the heaviest job as cutter, and Catlin's mother. Both of them were willing to perform the heavy physical tasks that Catlin could not do. LIRC found Crystal Lake could have accommodated Catlin without hardship by exempting her from performing the heavy physical tasks that were beyond her capabilities, and by making some physical modifications to the workplace. LIRC, Fair Employment Decision, Findings 16, 19, p. 4-5 (May 5, 2000). ¶ 71. In regard to the hearsay testimony that a new wheelchair accessible bathroom would cost $47,000, Catlin contends that Crystal Lake provided no documentation to support this figure. Moreover, Catlin argues that there was no evidence as to what Crystal Lake's financial resources were like. As a result, Catlin argues that it is possible that the $47,000 may not have been a significant cost for Crystal Lake, in relation to its financial situation. There was no evidence showing that Crystal Lake could not reasonably afford such an expense. While Crystal Lake argues that the alleged cost of the new bathroom would be three times Catlin's wages, Catlin contends that there is no legal basis for such an argument. Catlin points out that a new bathroom could be used by all employees. As such, Catlin argues that Crystal Lake failed to prove that accommodating her would impose a hardship on it. ¶ 72. Lastly, Catlin argues that the other necessary physical modifications that would be needed in order to accommodate her were relatively inexpensive. One modification included addressing the three-inch threshold on the entry door, something she claims could easily be remedied with a small ramp. Other modifications dealt with changes that could be made to the factory such as the lowering of tables and other items, and, where necessary, the widening of aisles. ¶ 73. In summary, Catlin agues that Crystal Lake did not meet its burden of proof that an accommodation would impose a hardship pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 111.34(1)(b). ¶ 74. In the present case, neither party disputes that Catlin is handicapped or that Crystal Lake took termination action based on that handicap. The issues, therefore, are whether the record supports, with substantial and credible evidence, LIRC's conclusion that reasonable accommodations were available to Crystal Lake, accommodations that would allow Catlin to perform her job duties, and that Crystal Lake has failed to demonstrate that those reasonable accommodations would create a hardship for Crystal Lake.
¶ 75. In determining whether an employer is required, under the WFEA, to accommodate a disabled employee, the questions of reasonableness of the accommodation and hardship to the employer, while overlapping, are two separate and distinct considerations that are to be addressed independently. McMullen, 148 Wis. 2d at 277. Thus, in examining the record for evidence to support each, we will also treat the two as distinct determinations. ¶ 76. In this case there is substantial evidence in the record to support LIRC's conclusion that, hardship notwithstanding, there were reasonable accommodations Crystal Lake could have taken in order to keep Catlin as an employee. Crystal Lake could have modified the jobsite to allow Catlin full access, and let her continue to perform those tasks she is still able to perform. Among the accommodations that could and should have been considered: a ramp, installed at the entrance, would allow wheelchair access; the tables and other fixtures could be lowered; the bathroom could be modified; and, where necessary, aisles could be widened. ¶ 77. When the state legislature modified the WFEA in 1981, it added provisions that require employers dealing with handicapped employees or applicants to evaluate the individual in order to determine whether he or she can meet the requirements of the job in question. Wis. Stat. § 111.34. Crystal Lake in this case failed to investigate what Catlin herself could still do despite her disability. Johnson, the job analysis evaluator from Genex, was told only that he was to examine the job and job site with regard to a person in a wheelchair. At no time did Crystal Lake contact Catlin; in fact, there is evidence in the record that Crystal Lake managers avoided her phone calls. This failure by Crystal Lake appears to have been a violation of the intent of the WFEA. ¶ 78. Another way Crystal Lake could have accommodated Catlin's disability is by modifying her responsibilities. This is an accommodation, we hold, that appears to be reasonable under the circumstances here and within the purview of the WFEA. The other employees could divide among themselves those physical tasks Catlin is now unable to do, and she could focus just on the many job responsibilities that she can do. As noted, other employees have testified that they would be willing and able to do this. ¶ 79. Having found substantial and credible evidence in the record to support LIRC's finding that Crystal Lake could have reasonably accommodated Catlin, we now turn to the issue of hardship for Crystal Lake. As noted previously, we are satisfied that LIRC's determinations are entitled to great weight deference on this issue as well. Since Catlin has made the required showings that she is handicapped and that the employer has taken a proscribed action under the WFEA, the employer has the burden of showing hardship. Target, 217 Wis. 2d at 9. ¶ 80. As to physical and job modifications, Crystal Lake has failed in its burden to prove hardship. Further, we agree with the court of appeals that this matter should not be remanded to allow Crystal Lake to attempt now to make a new showing of hardship. Crystal Lake chose to rely on what it argued was an erroneous interpretation of the WFEA by LIRC. Failed trial strategy is not grounds for remand. See State v. McDonald, 50 Wis. 2d 534, 538, 184 N.W.2d 886, 888 (1971).