Jonathan Meer (Partner-New York, NY) and Angela Sekerka (Of Counsel-Chicago) coauthored “The Mental Health Crisis Entering the Workplace,” appearing in the Practising Law Institute’s PLI Chronicle: Insights and Perspectives for the Legal Community on February 2, 2026. The article examines the growing wave of mental health-related disability and accommodation claims confronting employers, including “an increase in claims under the ADA based upon stress-related disorders, addiction-related issues, and PTSD.” Jonathan and Angela provide an overview of recent court decisions and guidance on how employers should respond to accommodation requests involving mental health conditions. The article highlights how mental health disabilities are often non-visible and may arise unexpectedly, emphasizing that while employees bear the initial burden of disclosing a disability and the need for accommodation, employers can face liability if they fail to engage in the interactive process once a request is made – even when the requested accommodation is not reasonable. The authors suggest, “In such cases, employers should consider whether another accommodation would be sufficient to meet the employee’s disability-related need so long as the employee would still be able to perform the essential job functions of the position.”