Workplace Accommodation Disputes and Retaliation Concerns
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Reviewed & verified by A. Jason Velez, Esq.*
Managing Attorney, 1LAW · Last reviewed January 24, 2026
Legal Inquiry
Consumer Legal Issue
1 am a 46yr old woman who works with multiple medical issues at a automotive manufacturer company. I currently have two 'mla packets already in place. I've been with the company since 2018. Within the last six nonths the company has forced me into a position my body physically cannot handle and I've had to start seeing a spine care specialist. I requested a meeting with human resources and instead of having a meeting my supervisor decided to move me off the production line to another area to help my pain. Then a few weeks later iust moves me back to the line saying that area isn't part of our team any more but yet there are still team members from our team working back there. I again requested ta speak to hr and never heard anything. Last week while being in severe pain and on alot of medication a team leader ask me to fill out training logs and I popped off saying I wasn't going to fill out any fuckin training sheet However I eventually partially filled it out and gave it to her. I immediately told my supervisor what happened. Now hr is investigating me and says I can possibly be terminated.
I have no documentation about the offer to move me just my supervisor saying he would. And no, they haven't tried to help other than our medical department has given me accommodation paperwork for my doctor to fill out this coming week. But now I'm being investigated.
Attorney Answer
Three issues are live here — your FMLA leave, a possible ADA accommodation claim, and the pending HR investigation over the training-log incident — and if that investigation ends in your termination or another adverse action, strict deadlines start running immediately.
Federal law, not a distinct Alabama statute, controls this situation. The ADA prohibits covered employers from discriminating against a qualified employee because of disability and requires reasonable accommodation of known physical or mental limitations unless the employer shows undue hardship. Whether that applies to you depends on facts not yet established: whether your spine condition meets the ADA's definition of disability, and whether being moved back to the line and the resulting investigation were retaliatory or a legitimate response to the training-log incident. Either is possible on this record. FMLA separately protects you from interference with your leave rights and from retaliation for requesting or using leave.
What you can do:
1. Submit the accommodation paperwork the medical department already gave you as soon as possible.
2. Put the verbal promise to move you, and the training-log incident, in writing for your own file now, while details are fresh.
3. Respond to the HR investigation honestly and in writing where you can.
4. Consult an employment attorney now, before the investigation concludes.
⏱ Time limits apply. If the investigation results in termination or another adverse action, you generally must file an EEOC charge within 180 days of that action to preserve any ADA claim, and any FMLA lawsuit must be filed within two years of the violation (three years if willful). A local employment attorney should review your specific situation promptly to confirm exactly how these deadlines apply to you.
Relevant Case Law
Hayes v. Voestalpine Nortrak, Inc., 185 F. Supp. 3d 1314 (2016) — District Court, N.D. Alabama
The ADA prohibits discrimination against a qualified individual with a disability. A qualified individual is someone who can perform the essential functions of her position, with or without a reasonable accommodation.
States the qualified-individual and reasonable-accommodation standard that determines whether the inquirer's spine condition and job reassignment support an ADA claim.
Read the full opinion (CourtListener)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What protections exist for employees with a medical condition needing accommodation?
The Americans with Disabilities Act generally requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodation for a qualifying disability unless it would cause undue hardship on the business.
How long do I have to file a discrimination complaint if I'm terminated?
Generally, an EEOC charge must be filed within 180 days of an adverse action to preserve an ADA claim, though this can extend to 300 days in some states.
Can an employer investigate an employee while an accommodation request is pending?
Generally yes, but retaliation for requesting accommodation or taking protected leave is prohibited, so the reasons behind an investigation and any resulting action matter.
