It depends on the situation, but in most cases, no, an employer cannot fire you because you have a limb amputated. By law, disability discrimination is illegal. Disability discrimination occurs when an employer treats an employee (or a job applicant) unfavorably because of a disability.
An employer is required to provide reasonable accommodation to an employee or a job applicant with a disability, unless doing so would cause significant disability or expense for the employer. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or the way things are usually done in order to help a person with a disability perform the duties of a job.
For example, if you had a leg amputation, and your job involves a lot of standing which may be difficult after your amputation, your employer could be required to find a way for you to work sitting down, if possible. If, however, your job involves a lot of heavy lifting, and you had an arm amputation, there may not be a way to provide you with reasonable accommodation.
If making a reasonable accommodation would be too difficult or expensive in light of the employer’s size, financial resources, and the needs of the business, the employer does not have to provide reasonable accommodation. In addition, if there are multiple ways of providing reasonable accommodation, the employer can choose which one to provide.
Cases involving disability discrimination are very fact-dependent. If you had an amputation and you believe your employer discriminated against you as a result of that amputation, you should speak with an attorney. Call me, Conal Doyle, Amputation Attorney at 310-385-0567. My team can help. I am also an amputee, and I focus a great deal of my practice on helping other amputees. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.