Brief Summaries of EEOC Reasonable Accommodation Issues for Texas Businesses

The EEOC has summarized Reasonable Accommodations in various contexts: 

Reasonable Accommodation & Disability

The law requires that an employer provide reasonable accommodation to an employee or job applicant with a disability, unless doing so would cause significant difficulty or expense for the employer. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the workplace (or in the ways things are usually done) to help a person with a disability apply for a job, perform the duties of a job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment. Reasonable accommodation might include, for example, providing a ramp for a wheelchair user or providing a reader or interpreter for a blind or deaf employee or applicant. 

Reasonable Accommodation & Pregnancy, Childbirth, or Related Medical Conditions  

The law requires that an employer provide reasonable accommodation to a qualified employee or job applicant with a known limitation related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would cause significant difficulty or expense for the employer. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the workplace (or in the ways things are usually done) to help a person with a known limitation apply for a job, perform a job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment. Reasonable accommodation might include, for example, allowing additional break times for the worker to rest, drink, eat, or use the restroom, allowing a worker who usually stands to perform their job to sit, telework, or leave for medical appointments or to recover from childbirth. 

Reasonable Accommodation & Religion 

The law requires an employer to reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs or practices, unless doing so would cause difficulty or expense for the employer. This means an employer may have to make reasonable adjustments at work that will allow the employee to practice his or her religion, such as allowing an employee to voluntarily swap shifts with a co- worker so that he or she can attend religious services.

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