While publicly-owned for-profit entities and companies with at least 25,000 employees are more likely to make effective accommodations for workers with disabilities, certain practices are common to employers regardless of size, industry or sector.
Three-quarters of employers appoint a specific office or individual to address questions of accommodation, according to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Disability Institute and the Cornell University ILR School Employment. Almost as many allow employees with disabilities to exceed the standard maximum duration of medical leave and train supervisors on accommodation obligations and avoiding discrimination.
More than two-thirds of employers have grievance procedures to deal with any accommodation issues that arise. The human resource professionals who were surveyed indicated that the most effective practice was maintaining a centralized accommodation fund to pay for any associated costs, although only 20 percent did so. Similarly, less than half had a formalized case-by-case decision-making process to handle accommodations, although respondents indicated it was an effective measure.
Many also found having a designated office or person in charge of accommodation questions worked well. When setting policies for workers with disabilities, documentation and formalized procedures can help to ensure HR compliance and avoid discrimination. Firms may wish to evaluate these practices, although they might be more challenging for small companies to implement successfully.
