The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide “reasonable” accommodations to workers with disabilities. When it comes to what kinds of accommodations employers must provide in this regard, the most important word in this context is “reasonable.” In other words, the disabled employee’s accommodations should not result in the over “un-accommodation” of the employer.
Here are a few key pieces of advice to assist disabled workers to receive the reasonable accommodations to which they have a legal right:
Tell your employer what you need
Chances are that your employer will not approach you to ask what accommodations you require. You may need to directly tell your employer what you require to do your job as a person with a disability.
Negotiate your needs diplomatically
Since the question “reasonableness” could be subject to debate, it’s important that disabled workers negotiate in good faith — both politely and diplomatically — to kindly ask for the accommodations they require. Disabled workers may also need to politely remind their employers of their legal rights to ensure they receive those accommodations — but this should be a last resort.
You can’t ask your employer to endure unfair hardships on your behalf
Although the ADA protects your right to receive certain accommodations, your employer is not expected to bend over backward or go bankrupt on your behalf. A lot of different factors could come into play to render an accommodation you require to be an “undue hardship.” Therefore, makes sure that your request does not qualify as such before issuing stern demands.
If you’re not receiving the disability accommodations that you have a legal right to receive, you may want to discuss your challenges with a Detroit-based workplace discrimination attorney.