The statute clause that includes a requirement that an individual shall not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals in the workplace, has been expanded to include a threat to self-defense.

One impact: The Supreme Court ruling gives employers the option to screen before hiring workers who may not be able to tolerate shiftwork based on a health condition. This enables companies to avoid the high costs of turnover, absenteeism and training workers who will quit prematurely, according to experts at Circadian Technologies, Inc., a research and consulting firm providing corporate programs to reduce the costs, risks and liabilities of human factors in the 24/7 workplace.