Episode 17. What Is An Employer's Obligation to Accommodate Disabled Employees?
Have employees with medical needs that are affecting their job performance? Employers are wise to understand what protections exist for these individuals, including the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation to assist with the employee's ability to perform in their role.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws and protections at both the state and federal level, nearly all employers have some obligation to “accommodate” or modify otherwise usual aspects of performing in a role, to remove barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities. The scope of an employer’s obligation to accommodate is often not fully understood. In addition, the process of understanding where and when this is required, and how to go about meeting this obligation in the best way possible for both the business and the employee, can be tricky and fraught with opportunities for missteps. In this episode, Emily Martin of Ally HR Partners & Jennifer Strait of Complete Payroll make this process easier by laying out what your obligations are and how to meet them, for the benefit of your staff and your business.
🎬 Video Breakdown:
1:50 Brief History of the Laws that Protect Employees with Disabilities
2:41 What is a Disability?
4:25 How is Pregnancy Treated with Regard to Disabilities?
5:12 How to Handle an Employee Struggling with Addiction
5:56 Employer Obligation #1: Offer Some Type of Leave
7:09 Q: As an Employer, How Much Accommodation Should You Make Before It Negatively Impacts Your Business?
8:51 Q: What Are Employers' Obligations Regarding Documentation of an Employee's Disability?
11:22 As Always, Train Your Managers on the Proper Way to Handle Accommodations
13:08 Key Takeaways
