A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the workplace or the hiring process that lets a person with a disability do the work or get equal access to its benefits. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers with 15 or more employees must provide one unless it would cause undue hardship. The employee doesn't have to use the words 'reasonable accommodation' or put the request in writing.
That last point is where a lot of employers go wrong. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says a person only has to tell you they need an adjustment or change at work for a reason related to a medical condition, in plain English. From that moment the clock is running, and the EEOC expects you to respond promptly.
The three kinds of accommodation
| Category (EEOC) | Examples |
|---|---|
| Changes to the application process | An accessible test format, extra time, a different interview location |
| Changes to the work environment or the way the job is done | Restructuring minor tasks, a modified or part-time schedule, equipment, working from home where the job allows |
| Changes that give equal benefits and privileges | Access to training, staff events and facilities on the same terms as everyone else |
How the process works, step by step
- The employee or applicant tells you they need a change at work because of a medical condition. No form or magic words are needed.
- If the disability or the need isn't obvious, you may ask for reasonable documentation about the disability and the functional limitations.
- You and the employee talk it through. The EEOC calls this an informal, interactive process: ask what they need and what would help.
- You choose an effective accommodation. If two would work, you can pick the cheaper or easier one, as long as it removes the barrier.
- You put it in place promptly and check that it's working.
You don't have to give the employee the exact accommodation they asked for. You do have to give them one that works. That's a useful distinction for small businesses: an expensive request can often be met with a simpler alternative.
Common accommodations the EEOC confirms
- Job restructuring: shifting minor tasks to colleagues, or changing when and how a task is done.
- Leave: unpaid leave is a form of reasonable accommodation, absent undue hardship. You don't have to give more paid leave than other staff get.
- Modified or part-time schedules, including adjusted start and finish times and extra breaks.
- Changing a workplace policy for that employee only, while keeping it for everyone else.
- Reassignment to a vacant position the person is qualified for, ideally equal in pay and status.
- Working from home, if the essential functions can be done at home and it doesn't cause undue hardship.
The sourced insight people miss is about 'no-fault' leave policies. If your policy automatically ends employment after a set period of leave, the EEOC says you must still give additional unpaid leave to an employee who needs it as an accommodation, unless you can keep them working with another effective accommodation or show undue hardship. Applying the policy mechanically is how employers end up with a claim.
What employers never have to do
| Not required | Why |
|---|---|
| Remove a primary job responsibility | The person must still be able to do the essential functions |
| Lower production standards applied to everyone | You may need to help them meet the standard, not drop it |
| Provide personal use items | Such as a wheelchair, eyeglasses, hearing aids or a prosthetic limb |
| Excuse misconduct | You never have to tolerate violence, threats, theft or destruction of property |
| Change the person's supervisor | Though you may need to change how assignments are communicated |
| Bump another employee, create a job or promote | Reassignment is only to a vacant post |
Undue hardship, explained
Undue hardship means significant difficulty or expense, and it isn't only about cost. An accommodation that's unduly extensive or disruptive, or would fundamentally change how the business runs, can qualify. Each request is assessed on its own, looking at the cost, your overall resources and headcount, and the impact on the business.
Two limits matter. First, you can't claim undue hardship because of colleagues' or customers' fears or prejudices, or because of a possible hit to morale. Second, if cost is the issue, the EEOC says to look for outside funding, such as a state rehabilitation agency, and tax credits, and to ask whether the employee would pay the difference for the part that's too expensive. Where changing one person's hours would stop others doing their jobs, though, that disruption can be undue hardship.
A written policy helps everyone, so see what to put in an employee handbook.
Privacy: what you can tell the team
You can't tell coworkers that someone is getting an accommodation, because that usually reveals a disability, and the ADA restricts disclosure of medical information. If someone asks why a colleague seems to get special treatment, the EEOC suggests explaining that you help any employee who has difficulties at work and that you respect everyone's privacy, including theirs.
Pregnancy has its own accommodation law now: our guide to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act covers it, and our FMLA guide explains the separate right to job-protected leave.
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The verdict
Most accommodations are small and cheap: a schedule tweak, a chair, a few weeks' unpaid leave. The cases that go wrong usually aren't about the accommodation at all; they're about an employer who ignored a plain-English request or applied a policy without talking to the person. Treat any mention of a medical reason for needing a change as the start of a conversation, write down what you agreed, and you'll stay on the right side of the ADA.
Pregnancy is covered by a separate US law, so read about the law that protects pregnant employees as well.
Frequently asked questions
What is a reasonable accommodation?
Any change to the job, the work environment or the hiring process that lets a person with a disability perform the job or enjoy equal employment opportunities.
Which employers must provide reasonable accommodation?
Under the ADA, employers with 15 or more employees, unless the accommodation would cause undue hardship.
Does a reasonable accommodation request have to be in writing?
No. The EEOC says the request can be made in plain English and doesn't need to mention the ADA, though an employer may confirm it in writing.
Can an employer refuse a reasonable accommodation?
Only if it would cause undue hardship, meaning significant difficulty or expense, or if another effective accommodation is offered instead.
