Privacy Issues in the Workplace

7. D RUG AND A LCOHOL T ESTING OF A PPLICANTS In March 2008, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held in Lanier v. City of Woodburn 157 that employers must have a “special need” to require pre-employment drug testing. Please refer to Section 4 of this workbook for a detailed discussion of drug and alcohol testing. 8. P SYCHOLOGICAL T ESTING Under California law, employers are also prohibited from requiring a psychological examination prior to making a conditional offer of employment. 158 Under the ADA, if the psychological test is “medical,” i.e., if it provides evidence that would lead to identifying a mental disorder or impairment, the test is prohibited. However, under the ADA, a test that measures personality traits such as honesty, preferences, and habits would not be considered a medical examination. 159 C. H OW TO H ANDLE THE O BVIOUSLY D ISABLED A PPLICANT Sometimes an applicant’s disability will be obvious to an employer (e.g., the applicant is missing a limb). In such circumstances, the employer may still inquire about the applicant’s ability to perform the essential functions of the job. The employer may also ask an applicant with a known disability to demonstrate how he or she would perform an essential function of the job. The employer may also ask the applicant whether he or she requires a reasonable accommodation to perform the job and what type of accommodation is required. 160 Also, if the known disability would not interfere with the performance of a job-related function, then the employer cannot ask the applicant how he or she would perform the job unless all applicants are asked the same question. 162 (e.g., the applicant is seeking a job as a typist and has a prosthetic leg). D. P OST -O FFER M EDICAL E XAMINATIONS AND I NQUIRIES After making a conditional offer of employment, an employer may, with certain limitations, obtain medical or psychological information about an applicant’s ability to perform essential job functions. 163 1. R EQUIREMENTS FOR P OST -O FFER M EDICAL E XAMINATIONS An employer may condition an offer of employment on the results of a medical examination, which is conducted prior to the start of employment, for purposes of determining fitness for the job in question if: However, the EEOC has indicated that where an applicant discloses a disability or the disability is otherwise obvious, the employer should not inquire further into the nature or severity of the disability (e.g., “How did you lose your leg?”) 161

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