The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Fair Employment Housing Act (FEHA) are wide-ranging state and federal legislation intended to make our society more accessible to people with disabilities. Businesses with 15 (ADA) / 5 (FEHA) or more employees are highly impacted as they are required to provide “reasonable accommodation” to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment. The regulations are complicated and the legal exposure for non-compliance is potentially costly.

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) require employers with 50 or more employees to grant medical leave to employees in certain circumstances, including pregnancy, adoption, care of a child, spouse or parent, or the presence of a serious health condition that renders an employee unable to perform one or more of the essential functions of his or her job.

The overlap is confusing, and further complicated by states' Pregnancy Disability Leave/Worker’s Compensation legislation, Paid Family Leave, and the Civil Rights Act that preceded both ADA and FMLA by thirty years.