ADA may require reassignment despite worker’s inability to perform essential functions, 4th Circuit says | SpinGraph: Legal inevitability framing
SpinGraph analysis of HR Dive AI / Work's ADA may require reassignment despite worker’s inability to perform essential functions, 4th Circuit says story: legal…
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ADA may require reassignment despite worker’s inability to perform essential functions, 4th Circuit says - HR Dive
ADA, reassignment, reasonable accommodation, Fourth Circuit, employment law
Fourth Circuit held reassignment is a mandatory 'reasonable accommodation' under ADA, not merely discretionary. Decision expands employer obligations beyond job modification or leave to include proactive vacancy searches. Ruling conflicts with prior guidance from EEOC and other circuits, creating legal uncertainty for HR and compliance teams.
Spin Analysis: legal inevitability framing
Emphasizes momentum and doctrinal convergence while minimizing circuit split, lack of Supreme Court review, and practical implementation barriers for midsize employers.
Legal evolution narrative — positions the ruling as clarifying, not departing from, ADA’s core purpose.
The Fourth Circuit ruled that the ADA requires employers to reassign disabled workers to vacant positions even if they can’t perform essential functions of their current job.
No discussion of cost-benefit analysis for small employers; No data on frequency of viable reassignments in real-world HR operations; No reference to EEOC’s 2023 enforcement guidance contradicting this interpretation
The story uses titles, institutions, awards, rankings, partners, experts, or official language to make the subject feel more credible. Watch for loaded terms such as mandatory, must, binding precedent, proactive duty. The distribution reads as editorial reporting. A pressure point: No discussion of cost-benefit analysis for small employers.
The Fourth Circuit held that reassignment to a vacant position is a mandatory reasonable accommodation under the ADA when the employee is qualified for the new role.
‘The ADA requires reassignment to a vacant position for which the employee is qualified, even if the employee cannot perform the essential functions of their current position.’
Extracted statistics from the source narrative
Federal appellate court covering NC, SC, VA, WV, MD
Prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities