It is not uncommon for an employee to have a disability that effects his or her employment. For example, a person may have a back condition that would require them to stand up and work at certain times during the day versus sitting down all day. This employee has a disability that affects him or her working. Thus, this employee would make a request for a reasonable accommodation with his employer. A reasonable accommodation is basically a slight modification or adjustment to the working conditions that enables the employee with a disability to perform the essential functions of his or her job. In the current example, the employee with the back condition would request a standing desk to work at during the work day to enable him to do his job. So long as the desk cost was reasonable, the employer is required to provide the accommodation.
Generally, employers are required to provide a reasonably accommodation unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the employer. Undue hardship means that it would cause the employer significant difficult or expense. To determine this various factors are considered including the cost of the accommodation as well as the employer’s resources. If you have a disability and your employer refuses to accommodate you, please contact our firm for a free consultation.