Generally speaking, job applicants and employees with high blood pressure are protected from disability discrimination under California law. This is true, even if the applicant’s or employee’s high blood pressure does not currently impair his/her ability to work.
In a California Supreme Court case, for instance, the employer had terminated the employee, a door-to-door salesman, because of the employee’s high blood pressure. Although the employee’s high blood pressure did not currently impair the employee’s ability to work, the employer believed that the employee’s high blood pressure exposed the employee to a greater than normal risk of disability or death. Finding that the employer had engaged in disability discrimination, the California Supreme Court reasoned that “disability” in the context of disability discrimination also includes conditions that (like high blood pressure) do not currently have a disabling effect on the individual but that might handicap an individual in the future.
If you believe that you have been subjected to disability discrimination at work, call 916-612-0326or email ([email protected]) Finley Employment Law today. We serve clients throughout California, including Sacramento, Folsom, Roseville, Granite Bay, and Elk Grove.
The information in this blog post is for general informational and advertising purposes only and is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. Instead, you should speak with a California employment attorney for advice regarding your individual situation.