Employers follow specific company rules and guidelines when hiring, establishing a work environment and managing how employees should work. This ensures uniformity and fairness among workers. However, certain circumstances compel some employees to request adjustments to their work or anything work-related to perform their jobs properly.
Who are these accommodations for?
Undeniably, people with disabilities have it harder when seeking and maintaining jobs due to their disabilities. Fortunately, U.S. laws allow reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities to provide them with equal work opportunities. These accommodations aim not to give special treatment, but to enhance productivity and ease of work performance.
Types of adjustment
Workplace accommodations can be the simplest and most mundane things around the office. This includes the following provisions:
- Physical: Installing ramps, making a more accessible restroom, furnishing ergonomic workstations
- Technology: Providing screen readers for the blind and visually impaired and tools to communicate with deaf and hard-of-hearing employees
- Company policies: Allowing service animals in the workspace, leniency with work schedule to give way for medical appointments and treatments
These are some of the accommodations employers can provide to their employees with disabilities. However, note that the adjustments must be reasonable.
Employers do not automatically provide accommodations
An employee who requires reasonable accommodation must request the same from their employer. While it is ideal for the employer to voluntarily provide for the adjustments, they may not know the needs of every single employee, especially if it is a big company. Once the request has been relayed, the employer must address the request and discuss it with the employee to agree on a reasonable solution.
If you have requested reasonable adjustments from your employee, but they fail to acknowledge and address them, you can consult with an employment law expert to know your options and protect your rights.
