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How Job Changes Impact Employees with Disabilities

If you have ever shopped at Walmart, it is likely that you were greeted by a Walmart employee whose job it is to welcome you to the store. Since the job of a greeter is not particularly strenuous, nor is it difficult to learn, it is a good fit for employees who have certain disabilities.

Unfortunately, Walmart recently announced that it would be replacing the “greeter” job with a “customer host,” which has more responsibilities, including lifting, cleaning, and long periods of standing. For disabled workers who cannot carry out these responsibilities, this means that they are going to lose their job.

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), in the event of a job change, employers must provide reasonable accommodations that will allow the employee to do their job.

Examples of Reasonable Accommodations

Employers can work with disabled employees to come up with possible accommodations that will allow the employee to continue doing their job.

The following are examples of accommodations that can be made:

  • Modifying existing facilities so that disabled employees can use them. This includes adjusting the height of equipment for employees who are wheelchair-bound, installing screen magnifiers for workers who are visually impaired, and installing telecommunications for hearing-impaired workers.
  • Adjusting the work-week to a ten-hour/four-day work week, which will allow workers to attend weekly appointments for treatment or physical therapy.
  • Allowing disabled employees to take oral exams instead of written.
  • Transferring an employee to a different location so that they can do that same job, but with better medical care.

If, however, a specific accommodation would impose an undue hardship, the employer would not be required to make that change. The employer will be responsible for providing proof that the requested accommodation is an undue hardship, which can be difficult to do.

The courts will look at everything from tax credits and other sources of money as well as whether the disabled employee has expressed a willingness to pay for part of the costs.

How to Request an Accommodation

You will need to notify your employer, either in writing or face-to-face, that you require an accommodation as a result of your disability. It is highly recommended that you put the request in writing, so that you have a paper trail in case your employer disputes the request.

Your employer may not ignore your request. Once the request has been made, your employer should respond as quickly as possible. If your employer fails to respond in a timely manner, it could result in a violation from the ADA.

It is unclear if Walmart has been or will be providing reasonable accommodations for the greeters with disabilities who will be using their jobs. Several greeters who have already lost their jobs due to Walmart’s new requirements have filed law suits.

Philadelphia Employment Lawyers at Sidkoff, Pincus & Green, P.C. Protect the Rights of Employees with Disabilities

If your job was changed, and your employer did not make reasonable accommodations for you, contact the Philadelphia employment lawyers at Sidkoff, Pincus & Green, P.C. We will secure the financial compensation that you are entitled to receive. To schedule a confidential consultation, call us today at 215-574-0600 or contact us online. Our offices are located in Philadelphia, where we serve clients in Pennsylvania, South Jersey, and across New Jersey.