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Employment law can be complicated for workers with disabilities to navigate, but knowing your rights will help you advocate for yourself more effectively. If your employer recently denied a workplace accommodation you believe was reasonable, read more about how reasonable accommodations factor into employment law cases.
What Is a Reasonable Accommodation?
Per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a reasonable accommodation is a change to an employee’s job function or work environment that takes their disability into account. For an accommodation to be reasonable, it must not place excessive financial hardship or stress on the employer or other workers.
Examples of Reasonable Accommodations
Common workplace accommodations that many employers deem reasonable include:
- Accessible parking spots for employees with mobility restrictions
- Large-print materials for individuals with limited vision
- Flexibility in work schedules to allow for regular medical appointments
Examples of Unreasonable Accommodations
The following accommodations may be helpful to an employee with a disability but can place undue hardship on the employer:
- Eliminating essential functions of the employee’s job
- Hiring a personal assistant to complete tasks
- Paying for specialized mobility equipment
Employers’ Obligations
Under the regulations outlined by the ADA, employers must take their employees’ requests for reasonable accommodations seriously. When an employee makes such a request, the employer must consider whether the accommodation is necessary and whether it would be effective in helping the worker do their job.
However, they must also weigh whether granting the accommodation would cause an undue burden on other employees or financial stress on the company.
Employees’ Rights
If your employer recently denied an accommodation that you believe is reasonable, consult with an employment law attorney about your next steps. You don’t need to accept your employer’s verdict if you genuinely need that accommodation. As a qualified employee with a disability, you have a right to work in an environment that does not hinder you or exacerbate your condition.
Should your attorney advise you to take your case to court, you will need to show that the accommodation you requested seems reasonable on its face and is ordinarily so. Then, your employer will need to provide proof of the undue hardship they claim your accommodation would cause.
Reasonable accommodations play a crucial role in employment law cases; many accommodation requests are denied due to spurious claims of hardship and inconvenience. If your attorney advises you to file a discrimination suit, you have a unique opportunity to challenge your employer’s claim and advocate for your well-being at work.
