Ask JAN!
- Question
- We are updating our job accommodation procedures and would like to incorporate some best practices. Are there any resources to help us follow the legal requirements, but to also go beyond compliance by applying practical strategies for accommodating applicants and employees with disabilities?
- Answer
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Yes! The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has guidance on the minimum requirements for reasonable accommodation procedures federal sector employers must meet as part of their affirmative action obligation for people with disabilities. Although private employers are not required to have written reasonable accommodation procedures, the EEOC resources provide detailed information, useful tips, and best practices that all employers can implement even if not required to take affirmative action. These resources can help all employers develop model accommodation procedures.
- Establishing Procedures to Facilitate the Provision of Reasonable Accommodation
- Practical Advice for Drafting and Implementing Reasonable Accommodation Procedures under Executive Order 13164
Also, JAN offers best practices for developing policies and procedures and practical strategies for processing accommodation requests for applicants and employees with disabilities. Many of these resources are available on the AskJAN.org Employers page.
Consultants' Corner
When an employer is not sure whether an accommodation will be effective or whether it will create an undue hardship, a smart practice is to implement a trial or temporary accommodation. Trial accommodations can benefit both the employee and the employer. JAN offers tips on how to implement this practice, see Providing Temporary or Trial Accommodation Solutions.
Resources
- Accommodation and Compliance: Interactive Process
- Accommodation and Compliance: Sample Forms
- Accommodation and Compliance: Service Animals as Workplace Accommodations
- Accommodation Strategies for Returning to the Workplace
- Emotional Support Animals in the Workplace: A Practical Approach
- Employers' Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation During the Hiring Process
- Establishing Procedures to Facilitate the Provision of Reasonable Accommodation
- JAN’s Employer Page
- JAN’s Workplace Accommodation Toolkit
- Practical Advice for Drafting and Implementing Reasonable Accommodation Procedures under Executive Order 13164
- Providing Temporary or Trial Accommodation Solutions
- Reasonable Accommodation Internal Procedures
- Spotlight: Sample and Partner Examples
- Telework Accommodation Request Flowchart
Announcements
- April 2023 JAN Webcast on Neurodiversity and Job Accommodations
- The JAN webcast “Accommodation Solutions for Neurodivergent Workers” offers guidance and practical accommodation solutions for workers who are neurodiverse. Learn what this concept means and how individuals who are neurodiverse may be covered under the ADA. Discussion topics include disclosure, accommodations, performance, conduct, and more. View the April Webcast
- March 2023 JAN Webcast on Long COVID Now Available
- The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in millions of people now experiencing chronic health conditions related to their initial COVID infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, post-COVID conditions, known as Long COVID, include a wide range of ongoing health issues that last for months or longer. During JAN’s March Accommodation and Compliance Series webcast, industry leaders from the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC), Sedgwick, EARN, and JAN shared critical insight on the impact of Long COVID in the workplace. View the March Webcast
- FMLA: Providing Flexibility for Changing Needs, Then and Now
- In a recently published DOL blog, ODEP Chief of Staff Anupa Iyer Geevarghese reflected on the 30th anniversary of the landmark Family and Medical Leave Act and the important role the law plays in helping workers retain employment after onset of a disability or undergoing treatment for a chronic condition. Read the Blog
- Fostering a Mentally Healthy Workplace
- The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has a one-page guide on “Fostering a Mentally Healthy Workplace.” Read the resource guide to learn more about creating a supportive and inclusive workplace environment. Additional resources are featured on the ODEP Mental Health webpage to ensure that disability-related policies and practices in the workplace consider the needs of people with mental health conditions. Read the ODEP Guide
Upcoming Events
Accommodation Solutions for Neurodivergent Workers
What is neurodiversity? What disabilities and characteristics best describe someone who fits under this umbrella term? Is being neurodiverse a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? This JAN...
Accommodation Solutions for Fine Motor Limitations
Join JAN Motor Team Consultants as they discuss accommodation ideas for fine motor limitations such as grip and grasping, reaching, and mousing and keyboarding. Many fine motor limitations can stem...
What to Do When Performance and Conduct Factor Into the Accommodation Equation
Sometimes limitations related to a disability can contribute to performance or conduct issues at work. What steps are appropriate when a disability is, or seems to be, causing a performance...
ADA Update 2023
Join representatives from JAN and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for a discussion about the latest developments in the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the...