Transport Workers Union v. New York City Transit Authority

Transit Workers Win Partial Victory Over Medical Inquiries

The Transport Workers Union sued the New York City Transit Authority over the agency's policy requiring medical documentation for sick leave. The union argued that demanding doctor's notes from all employees who called in sick violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which limits when employers can ask health-related questions.

The court ruled that the Transit Authority's blanket medical inquiry policy partially violated the ADA. However, the judge found that the employer could still require medical documentation in two specific situations: when employees have extremely poor attendance records (to prevent abuse of sick leave) and when employees work in safety-sensitive positions (to protect public safety). The court sent the case back for further proceedings to determine exactly how these exceptions should work in practice.

This ruling matters for workers because it limits when employers can demand medical information about sick leave. While employers can't automatically require doctor's notes from everyone, they may still ask for medical documentation if you have serious attendance problems or work in jobs affecting public safety. Workers should understand that some medical inquiries may be legally justified, but employers can't have blanket policies requiring health information from all employees.