As an employer, you may encounter situations where employees request reasonable accommodations. It is important to understand your rights and responsibilities when handling these requests. Knowing the process may help you make informed decisions.
What is a reasonable accommodation?
A reasonable accommodation is an adjustment to a job or work environment. These accommodations benefit employees with a disability. They allow them to perform essential job functions better.
Examples of reasonable accommodation include:
- Modifying work schedules
- Providing specialized equipment for their safety and convenience
- Adjusting workplace policies
As an employer, you must make reasonable changes to help workers with disabilities. This is a requirement of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, you may not have to make these changes if they are too difficult. You may also deny requests if they are too expensive for your business.
When can you deny a request?
While you must carefully consider all reasonable accommodation requests, there are circumstances where you can deny them:
- Undue hardship: You may deny the request if the accommodation would cause significant difficulty for your organization. You may also deny it if it is too expensive. This is where factors such as the cost, your company’s size and financial resources come into play.
- Direct threat: You may deny a request if the accommodation directly threatens the employee’s or others’ health or safety.
- Essential job functions: If the accommodation would eliminate an essential job function, you have the option not to provide it.
- Alternative accommodations: If the current request does not benefit the business, you may propose an alternative accommodation. It should effectively address the employee’s needs without causing undue hardship to the company.
Each situation is unique so that you may evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis. Engaging in an interactive process with the employee may be wise to explore potential accommodations. Documenting all discussions and decisions may also benefit all parties.
Managing reasonable accommodation requests requires balance. You must be able to support your employees while protecting your business interests. It is important to understand the legal framework of reasonable accommodations thoroughly. You must also carefully evaluate each request. Doing so allows you to make fair, informed decisions that benefit your employees and organization.
If you face unreasonable accommodation requests, you may want to seek the advice of an experienced attorney. They may help you understand your rights and legal options.