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Employers Can Refuse Genetic Risk Accommodations, Scholars Warn

6/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Employers can legally deny accommodations to workers who request changes based on a genetic test predicting future heart-attack risk.
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 bars firing for genetic results but does not require accommodations.
Legal and public-health scholars warn that the gap between these laws and emerging polygenic risk-scoring tools could leave test users vulnerable to firings.

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Story summary

Employers can legally deny accommodations to workers who request changes based on a genetic test predicting future heart-attack risk.
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 bars firing for genetic results but does not require accommodations.
Legal and public-health scholars warn that the gap between these laws and emerging polygenic risk-scoring tools could leave test users vulnerable to firings.