How to Assess Whether an Employee's Request for Accommodation Is Reasonable

Author: Meryl Gutterman, Nukk-Freeman & Cerra, P.C.

As part of its responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an employer has a duty to consider a reasonable accommodation for a qualified individual with a disability, whether the individual is a job applicant or a full-time or part-time employee. A reasonable accommodation for ADA purposes is an accommodation the employer can adopt without undue hardship that will enable the individual to perform the essential functions of the job.

Upon notice of the individual's disability and need for accommodation, the employer must consider which accommodations are reasonable. Set forth below are steps the employer should take to assess whether an individual's accommodation request is reasonable.