Accommodation. “Sometimes it can be overwhelming,” concedes the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). But a good job description is a “constructive tool” for focusing on reasonable accommodations.
JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. JAN offers the following accommodation scenarios to show how to match job description requirements with disability limitations.
Scenario 1: Diabetic Programmer
An applicant is interviewing for a Computer Programmer position. Although disclosure wasn’t required, because of questions about a particular job requirement for which she may need an accommodation, the applicant tells the employer she has diabetes.
Job task from job description: “Responsibilities occasionally may require an adjusted work schedule, overtime, and evening/weekend hours in order to meet deadlines or to access the computer to perform program tests.”
Limitation revealed by applicant: Needs to eat at specific time each day. May need to test blood sugar and take insulin while at work. Prospective employee is happy to work an adjusted schedule or extra hours provided that she can take the steps necessary to regulate her diabetes.
Accommodation solution: Employer accommodates the employee by allowing her to adjust her lunch hour to 11 a.m.-12 p.m. rather than the typical 12-1 p.m. and permits flexible break times. The employee is also allowed to bring a small refrigerator to store food and medication in her office. When working evening hours, the employee may set her own dinner breaks as needed to cope with her diabetic needs.
Set that keyboard aside! Your job descriptions are already written. See why thousands of managers have a permanent place in their offices for BLR’s classic Job Descriptions Encyclopedia.
Scenario 2: Food Service Worker with MS
The new Food Service Manager is a person who has multiple sclerosis. She uses a cane for mobility assistance.
Job task from job description: “2% of time assists in production area during absence of primary kitchen staff.”
Limitation revealed by applicant: Employee has difficulty standing for long periods of time.
Accommodation solution: The employer and employee agree to use a sit/stand work stool and an anti-fatigue mat to accommodate rare occasions when she will need to assist in the kitchen.
Scenario 3: Sheet metal worker with a speech impairment
A sheet metal worker has a speech impairment. He stutters, and when he is nervous the condition becomes much worse.
Job task from job description: “Makes recommendations to supervisor about the need for different materials, equipment, and parts.”
Limitation revealed by applicant: Employee has difficulty with oral communication.
Accommodation solution: As needed, the employee makes recommendations in writing. When discussion or clarification is necessary, employer and employee meet one-to-one in a quiet environment to eliminate noise and distraction and to alleviate the employee’s stress about speaking in group situations.
The starting point for accommodation discussions is the list of essential functions in your job descriptions. Aren’t sure the essential functions in all your company job descriptions are up to date? If they’re not—or if you’ve never even written them—you’re not alone. Thousands of companies fall short in this area.
It’s easy to understand why. Job descriptions are not quick to do, and they are not easy—what with updating and management and legal review, especially for the ADA’s requirement of a split off of essential vs. other functions in the description. Wouldn’t it be great if they were available, already written?
Actually, they are. We have more than 500, ready to go, covering every common position in any organization, from receptionist right up to president. They are in an extremely popular BLR® program called the Job Descriptions Encyclopedia.
First created in the 1980s, the “JDE” has been continually refined and updated over time, with descriptions revised or added each time the law, technology—or the way we do business—changes.
Prewritten job descriptions in the Job Descriptions Encyclopedia now come with pay grades already attached. Try the program at no cost.
Revised for the ADA, Pay Grades Updated
There was a major revision, for example, following the passage of the ADA. In fact, BLR editors reviewed every one of those 500 descriptions to ensure they were ADA-compliant.
Another, more recent enhancement was the updating of pay grades for each job, based on BLR’s extensive annual surveys of exempt and nonexempt compensation, and on other data. According to our customers, this is an enormous timesaver, enabling them to make compensation decisions even as they define the position. You can see a sample job description from the program by clicking here. (Yes, it is the one for HR manager. Pay grade: 38.)
The BLR Job Descriptions Encyclopedia also includes an extensive tutorial on setting up a complete job descriptions program, and how to encourage participation from all parts of the organization. That includes top management, the employees, and any union or other collective bargaining entity.
Quarterly Updates, No Additional Cost
Very important these days, quarterly updates are included in the program as a standard feature—key at a time of constantly changing laws and emerging technologies. We’ll send you new or revised descriptions every 90 days. And the cost is extremely reasonable, averaging less than 66 cents per job description … already written, legally reviewed, and ready to adapt or use as is.
You can evaluate BLR’s Job Descriptions Encyclopedia at no cost in your office for up to 30 days. Get more information or order the Job Descriptions Encyclopedia.
Download product sample
Download list of job descriptions included
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