@compmom She wasn’t asked whether she had disabilities prior to joining the firm. Even after she requested accommodations, the firm specifically said they didn’t want to know her health condition. She knew the hours were long but did not expect to be unable to get 8 hrs of sleep because she was on the job 24/7. In addition to bipolar, she has a history of concussions and post-concussive syndrome. Everything is documented. Per her attorney, they violated ADA in several ways, which is grounds for the lawsuit.
The attorney said that when someone asks for accommodations, the company is supposed to ask what the issue is and then the employee and company negotiate as to what specifically the accommodations will involve. In this case, the company unilaterally came up with an accommodation and then justified the firing because that accommodation wouldn’t allow her to complete her job responsibilities. She never actually agreed to the accommodation and, in fact, specifically requested that it not be instituted if it would affect her career.
The company screwed up.