When you have a disability, you may request reasonable accommodations to help you perform your job. Can an employer refuse these requests?
Below are some key points to remember.
What are reasonable accommodations?
Reasonable accommodations are changes or adjustments made to the work environment or job tasks to help employees with disabilities. These changes can range from altering work hours to providing specific equipment or allowing more frequent breaks. The goal is to enable employees to do their job while accommodating their disability.
What is the legal basis for reasonable accommodations?
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses must provide reasonable accommodations to workers unless doing so would cause undue hardship. This applies to employers with 15 or more employees. Indiana follows these federal regulations to help employees with disabilities have the same chance to succeed as other employees.
When can reasonable accommodation requests be refused?
As noted, employers can refuse a reasonable accommodation request if it causes undue hardship, such as significant difficulty or expense. However, they need to engage in a dialogue with the employee to explore other possible accommodations. Simply ignoring or rejecting a request without discussion is not allowed.
Can refusal be discrimination?
If an employer refuses a requested accommodation without a valid reason, it can be considered discrimination. Discriminatory actions can lead to legal consequences for the employer under the ADA and Indiana state law.
Reasonable accommodations can be refused in certain situations, but doing so without proper justification or communication may be discrimination. For more information on this subject, you should seek legal guidance.
