A reasonable accommodation is any change or adjustment made to a job or work environment that permits a qualified employee with a disability to perform their job process adequately. A reasonable accommodation is meant to help disabled workers perform the essential functions of their job and experience the benefits that are enjoyed by employees without disabilities. Although employers are required to provide eligible employees with reasonable accommodation, they can deny a request if it becomes an undue hardship.
What Is Considered an Undue Hardship?
Employers aren’t required to provide disabled workers with reasonable accommodations if it would cause the company undue hardship. When an employer considers the factors of reasonable accommodation, they will be considering the cost of the accommodation, their company size, financial resources, and the structure of the operation. A reasonable accommodation would cause undue hardship if the accommodation would be any of the following:
- Unduly costly (when it comes to federal government the bar is very high)
- Extensive
- Substantial or disruptive
- Fundamentally alter the nature or operation of the business
What Should I Do If My Accommodation Is Considered Undue Hardship?
If the accommodation you requested would be an undue hardship to your work of employment, you should try to identify another accommodation that won’t post a hardship. If cost is an issue, you can try to find an outside source that can help you cover the costs through the Federal Government has a very high bar to meet to argue the expense is too high. An experienced federal employment attorney can analyze your case and help you understand the different options available.
Federal Employment Law Attorneys
Requesting a reasonable accommodation from your federal employer can be complicated. Our team at Pines Federal has the knowledge, experience, and resources needed to help you achieve your desired results. We have been helping federal employees throughout the nation obtain the reasonable accommodations they need to perform their job essential functions. Let our team guide you through the process.
Contact our federal employment law attorneys today at (800) 801-0598 to schedule a consultation!
Eric L. Pines is a nationally recognized federal employment lawyer, mediator, and attorney business coach. He represents federal employees and acts as in-house counsel for over fifty thousand federal employees through his work as a federal employee labor union representative.
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