1: Accommodation in the Workplace -

OVERVIEW -

Employers have a duty to accommodate employees’ needs based on those grounds protected under federal and provincial human rights legislation. All employers are required under human rights legislation to make reasonable, good faith attempts to accommodate employees to the point of undue hardship.

Duty to Accommodate -

An employer’s duty to accommodate is far-reaching and may take a variety of forms depending on the particular workplace and the specific needs of the employee being accommodated. Accommodation can range from structural changes to facilities or equipment, to the provision of additional support to an employee, to the altering of work schedules or rules, or to the granting of absences or rehabilitation programs. As a result, the costs of accommodation may vary widely. In each instance, however, the duty to accommodate includes the procedural duty to investigate and consider accommodation, as well as the substantive duty to see that reasonable accommodation does, in fact, occur.