Tips For Evaluating And Determining An Effective ADA Accommodation

Employers must assess accommodation requests individually based on the employee's specific functional limitations, the job requirements, and operational realities. Employers must then provide a reasonable accommodation unless it would cause undue hardship (significant difficulty or expense) or would pose a direct threat that cannot be mitigated. Maintaining human resources compliance throughout this assessment is a key duty for an HR Generalist. It is important to note that employers are not required to provide the preferred accommodation if an alternative is equally effective. Also, employers should keep in mind that they cannot request full medical records or unrelated medical info. All medical documentation must be handled according to HIPAA privacy standards and labor law. Note: This is an excerpt from our ADA Training & Certification Program.