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Accommodation and Compliance Series

by | Jan 18, 2014 | Accommodations, All, AODA Standards, Employment, Media Coverage, Types of Disabilities | 0 comments

The Americans with Disabilities Act  (ADA) Amendments Act and regulations from the Equal Employment Opportunity  Commission refocused attention on workplace accommodations by broadening the  definition of disability; more coverage means more employees will likely be  entitled to workplace accommodations. This increased attention has some  employers concerned about the costs of providing job accommodations. However, a study conducted by the Job Accommodation  Network (JAN), a service of the U.S. Department of  Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), shows that  workplace accommodations not only are low cost, but also positively impact the  workplace in many ways.

The JAN study has been on-going since 2004.  JAN, in partnership with the University of Iowa’s  Law, Health Policy, and Disability Center (LHPDC), interviewed 1,182  employers between January 2004 and December 2006.  In addition, JAN, in partnership with the  West Virginia University School of Social Work (formerly School of Applied  Social Sciences), interviewed 807 employers between June 28, 2008, and July 31,  2013.  Employers in the JAN study  represented a range of industry sectors and sizes and contacted JAN for  information about workplace accommodations, the ADA, or both. Approximately eight  weeks after their initial contact, the employers were asked a series of  questions about the situation they discussed with JAN and the quality of the  services JAN provided.

The study results consistently showed that  the benefits employers receive from making workplace accommodations far  outweigh the low cost. Employers reported that providing accommodations  resulted in such benefits as retaining valuable employees, improving  productivity and morale, reducing workers’ compensation and training costs, and  improving company diversity. These benefits were obtained with little  investment. The employers in the study reported that a high percentage (58%) of  accommodations cost absolutely nothing to make, while the rest typically cost  only $500.

And to top off these positive results about  the cost and benefits of workplace accommodation, the employers in the study also  reported that JAN understood their needs and provided information that met  their needs.  In addition, 99% of employers  stated that they would use JAN services again for assistance with workplace  accommodations.

What is the bottom line? Workplace  accommodations are low cost and high impact, and JAN can help employers make  them, free of charge.

Findings

Finding #1:  Employers want to provide accommodations so they  can retain valued and qualified employees. 

Of the employers who called JAN for  accommodation information and solutions, most were doing so to retain or  promote (84%) a current employee.  On  average (including those persons who had just been given a job offer or who  were newly hired), the employees had been with the company about seven years,  with an average wage of about $14 for those paid by the hour, or an average  annual salary of about $50,000. In addition, the individuals tended to be  fairly well-educated, with 47% having a college degree or higher.

Finding  #2:  Most employers report no cost or low  cost for accommodating employees with disabilities

Of the employers who gave  cost information related to accommodations they had provided, 355 out of 610 (58%)  said the accommodations needed by employees cost absolutely nothing.  Another 222 (36%) experienced a one-time  cost. Only 24 (4%) said the accommodation resulted in an ongoing, annual cost  to the company and 9 (1%) said the accommodation required a combination of  one-time and annual costs; however, too few of these employers provided cost  data to report with accuracy. Of those accommodations that did have a cost, the  typical one-time expenditure by employers was $500.  When  asked how much they paid for an accommodation beyond what they would have paid  for an employee without a disability who was in the same position, employers  typically answered around $500.

Finding  #3:  Employers report accommodations are  effective.

Employers who had implemented  accommodations by the time they were interviewed were asked to rank the  effectiveness of the accommodations on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being  extremely effective.  Of those  responding, 76% reported the accommodations were either very effective or  extremely effective.

Finding #4:  Employers  experience multiple direct and indirect benefits after making accommodations.

Employers who made  accommodations for employees with disabilities reported multiple benefits as a  result.  The  most frequently mentioned direct  benefits were: (1) the accommodation allowed the company to retain a qualified  employee, (2) the accommodation increased the employee’s productivity, and (3)  the accommodation eliminated the costs of training a new employee. The most widely mentioned indirect  benefits employers received were: (1)  the accommodation ultimately improved interactions with co-workers, (2) the  accommodation increased overall company morale, and (3) the accommodation  increased overall company productivity.

Read more here about Work place Accommodation by Job Accommodation Network (JAN).

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