Benefit Reduction as A Form of Discrimination

In addition to not discriminating against disabled employees in access to benefits, an employer may not discriminate against employees with disabilities through benefit reductions. As stated by the EEOC, ''benefit reductions for discriminatory reasons are in violation'' of the Act. Nonetheless, an employer should be able to reduce benefit coverage as part of an overall cost containment plan as long as the reductions apply to all employees and are not adopted for discriminatory reasons or purposes.