Event Details

SHRMA Presents:

Accommodating Mental Illness in the Workplace

Kurt Barker, Attorney, Karnopp Petersen LLP

Accommodating Mental Illness in the Workplace

Mental illness at work leads to more lost workdays than back pain, and can trigger a host of overlapping laws.  And yet many managers are reluctant or ill-prepared to address those situations, which are ripe for failure to accommodate, retaliation and other legal claims.  This session will tackle the following:

• What are the primary laws that can apply to an employee with mental illness?  (Think:  ADA, OFLA/FMLA, Oregon Sick Leave and more!)
• How should employers react when an employee discloses, or the employer suspects, a mental illness?
• How does one work to make a “reasonable accommodation” for a mental illness, and how far do you have to go in offering time off or other accommodations?  How do you minimize the risk of legal claims?

Join us for a lively session, including discussion scenarios, practical solutions and more. 

Kurt Barker, Attorney, Karnopp Petersen LLP

Kurt is a partner at Karnopp Petersen LLP, Central Oregon’s preeminent law firm.  (It’s based in Bend, but Kurt was raised in Salem and travels here quite often for family or business.)  He serves as Chair of his firm's Employment Law department and on the board of the Oregon Employer Council - Central Oregon, and has served as President of his local SHRM Chapter.  As an employment law and litigation attorney, Kurt has been representing employers in all aspects of the employment relationship for the last sixteen years, including:  counseling regarding terminations, accommodations and medical leave; drafting handbooks and contracts; conducting anti-harassment, medical leave and other trainings; and helping employers avoid claims, while also defending them before agencies and in court. 

Register Here