Can an employer have job standards without discriminating against people with disabilities?
An employer must assure that qualification standards are job-related and consistent with business necessity. Qualification standards, employment tests and other job-selection criteria must be analyzed to assure that qualified employees with disabilities are not screened out, whether intentionally or not, unless the criteria is essential for the safe and adequate performance of the essential elements of the job. For example, to require a person to demonstrate the ability to pick up weights of 25 pounds or more would only be allowed if the employer can show that lifting such weights are basic elements of the job and that the tasks cannot be assigned to another employee or otherwise accommodated. Employers should match any employment requirement against the job description which defines the essential elements of the job. An employer may ask any applicant how he would accomplish certain job tasks (e.g., asking an applicant with visual impairments about word processing; ask an employee who
Related Questions
- What should job seekers do if they believe an employer is discriminating by offering lower salaries to women and minorities?
- Can an employer have job standards without discriminating against people with disabilities?
- Can people with disabilities do a good job? If they could, wouldn’t they be working?
