Does ADA protect insubordinate employees?
An employer may not terminate a disabled employee for requesting an accommodation under the ADA. However, if that employee also is rude and insulting, the employer can discharge the employee for his insubordinate behavior. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers with 15 or more employees to accommodate disabled employees. Typical accommodations include providing assistive devices or making other accommodations in the workplace to allow the employee to perform his job. This duty to accommodate, however, does not extend to allowing disabled employees to be abusive or rude. An employer may discipline and even terminate a disabled employee as long as the discipline is not related to the disability.
