A Manager’s Guide to Reasonable Accommodation

In the employment context, reasonable accommodation refers to the steps an employer must take to modify employment requirements, rules or policies that would otherwise be considered to be discriminatory under the Code. What steps are required and what actions by an employer will satisfy the legal duty to accommodate will vary from situation to situation. Satisfying this legal duty requires managers to be attentive, flexible and comprehensive. It is also important to remember that the duty to accommodate can arise at any point in the employment relationship: it applies to hiring and dismissal decisions, and to terms and conditions of employment, including job duties, and general workplace rules and policies.