Employment Practice Tips: Providing Reasonable Accomodation Costs Little, Saves Thousands

Chubb provides a newsletter that has some great tips and examples of how we can and why we should lower our exposure for liability claims. A recent article is found HERE and has some good tips to follow.

Consider these tips to lower your exposure from accommodation requests:

* Review your disability policy. Is it clear how accommodation requests are made (preferably in writing) and how they are evaluated within your organization?
* Provide Americans with Disabilities Act and sensitivity training to your managers and supervisors. Make certain that your managers and supervisors do not automatically refuse employee requests for accommodation because they seem “out of the ordinary” or violate a minor policy.
* Make certain that managers and supervisors quickly refer all accommodation requests to human resources for evaluation.
* When presented with an accommodation request, consider the cause and extent of the employee’s restriction. This will help you determine whether the employee has a true disability that substantially limits him or her in a major life activity.
* Consult medical specialists in the field of the person’s disability.
* When organization rules (e.g., no eating at a desk) conflict with doctor ordered treatment plans, make certain that needs for the rule substantially outweigh the treatment needs of the employee.
* Finally, note that most accommodation requests cost very little in time or money.