In: Operations Management
Under the ADA, reasonable accommodations must be provided to allow a qualified employee to perform the essential functions of a job. These accommodations range in everything from reserved parking to a specific software program to allowing service animals in the workplace. Consider a situation in which a person with a physical disability is hired in a car manufacturing company. As his manager, how would you determine a reasonable and appropriate accommodation for your new hire? Consider if the new hire requested an inappropriate accommodation. How would you respond? What are two resources you could use to support your effort?
Under the ADA, reasonable accommodation is an assistance or
relocation that enables an employee to do his or her job despite
disability. Under the ADA, employers must provide adequate
accommodation for employees with disabilities, unless this is
extremely difficult. Competent employees are those who have the
necessary skill level and work experience. And which can perform
its main function with or without accommodation.
Examples of accommodation include:
Ensure the use of existing facilities by employees with
disabilities, for example by changing the height of desks and
equipment, installing computers or installing telecommunications
for the deaf.
Reorganize the workplace - for example, allow ten hours / four days
to work so that workers can receive weekly treatment
Change study materials - for example, give more time to the allow
them to do it orally instead of writing
Provide a reasonable amount of free medical leave
Hire readers or translators to help employees
Provide temporary specialists in the workplace to support training
and
Transfer employees to the same place elsewhere to get good health
care.
These are just as many accommodations as possible. Opportunity is
determined by the imagination of employees and employers - and the
fact that one or more of these premises may be financially
impossible in a particular workplace.
As you can imagine, the ADA has created a collection of other
professionals in the workplace, all of whom want to guide employees
on what to do to comply with the law. Most provide a checklist or a
list of steps to help implement ADA regulations.
In fact, the list is most valuable to employees who want to get or
keep a job. If you have a disability, you will be in the best
position if you turn to potential employees with answers to
questions on their list.
Here's what to think:
Analyze the tasks you want and isolate its main functions.
Write down the job restrictions that your conditions set and note
how they can be overcome by staying.
Identify potential accommodations and consider how each of you can
effectively get your work done.
Estimate how long each accommodation may be used before the
change.
Document all aspects of accommodation, including costs and
availability.