Is an employer required to provide “reasonable accommodation” to an employee with a disability?
An employer is not automatically required to provide a disabled employee with accommodations. Rather, the burden is on the employee to notify the employer and request assistance in performing job duties. At that point, the employer is required to work with the employee to determine where an accommodation is needed and, if so, what accommodation may be appropriate. Both the employer and employee have a responsibility to cooperate in finding a reasonable accommodation. An employer may make accommodations for a disabled employee by, for example, making existing facilities accessible and usable to the disabled employee, or restructuring the employee’s job in terms of hours or equipment. However, the employer is not obligated to provide a reasonable accommodation where such accommodation results in “undue hardship” to the employer. Under the “undue hardship” defense, the employer does not need to provide a reasonable accommodation where a particular accommodation is very difficult to attain
Related Questions
- Can an adjuster terminate temporary total disability (TTD) benefits because the employer claims the employee refused modified duty by failing to answer the phone when he called?
- How can an employee secure a "reasonable accommodation" of his or her disability by an employer?
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