Top 10 Challenges in Managing Employee Accommodations

Here at Optis, we know that Human Resource teams are typically the first to jump in and help their employees. When it comes to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ADAAA, HR are the key project leads in finding and coordinating the implementation of employee accommodations. You can read more facts from the EEOC about the ADA [here](http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/fs-ada.cfm). At first glance, managing the complexities of the ADA doesn’t seem too complicated – an employee requests an accommodation, you determine if the employee has a qualified disability, confirm the accommodation isn’t an undue hardship for the organization, then offer the accommodation and implement it. But sometimes things aren’t so straightforward. Keeping track of accommodations and having a centralized system for all of your team members to document the interactive process can have its challenges. Here are the most common challenges that we’ve been hearing - + Identifying possible accommodation solutions + Determining if someone has a qualified disability + Defining essential job functions + Tracking part time or modified work schedules + Communicating with management, the employee, and healthcare providers + Documenting accommodations and keeping track of which employees have them for annual reviews and check-ins + Finding an appropriate device/software to install so the necessary modifications can be completed + Training employees, managers and others involved on how to use the new accommodation tool + Training supervisors on the interactive accommodation process (i.e. how to identify and work through accommodation requests) + Creating a supporting workplace environment that supports accommodations Do you have another challenge to add? Let us know in the comments below. Want to learn more about Optis’ new solution, ADAInteract? [Contact us](http://www.optis.com/contact)