Policy

Pursuant to the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1900 as amended and any other applicable state and federal laws, St. Norbert College is committed equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

This means St. Norbert College will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities regarding application procedures, hiring, tenure, advancement, benefits, compensation, training or any other conditions of employment. Moreover, it is the college’s policy to provide reasonable employment accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities so they can perform their essential job functions, unless the accommodation(s) would impose an undue hardship on the college’s operations or change the essential functions of the position.   Essential functions are the basic job duties that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Human Resources makes final determinations about disability accommodations. Managers and supervisors may not independently deny accommodation requests.  Please view the Accommodation Request Form.

The college prohibits retaliation against an individual with a disability for using this policy or seeking a reasonable accommodation.

Procedures

An employee may request an accommodation because of a disability.  Additionally, once a supervisor, director, or chair has been informed by an employee of their disability or other condition covered by the ADA, the employee should receive a notice of their rights and may be referred to Human Resources for a possible accommodation if requested by the employee.

Employees seeking an accommodation are to complete a Accommodation Request Form noting the requested reasonable accommodation.  Reasonable accommodation is any change or adjustment to a job or work environment that permits a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the job application process, to perform the essential functions of a job, or to enjoy benefits and privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by employees without disabilities.  Some examples include:   

• More frequent or longer breaks
• providing or modifying equipment or devices,
• job restructuring,
• part-time or modified work schedules,
• reassignment to a vacant position,
• adjusting or modifying examinations, training materials, or policies,
• providing readers and interpreters, and
• making the workplace readily accessible to and usable by people with disabilities.

A  “reasonable accommodation” is one that does not require significant difficulty in the operation of the employer’s business or significant expense for the employer, with consideration to factors such as the size of the business, its financial resources, and the nature and structure of the business.

Interactive Process

The interactive process is required when an employee requests a reasonable accommodation or otherwise has a known limitation that requires one.
  
The College will engage the employee and the employee’s department in good faith and in a timely manner in the interactive process to determine what accommodation is appropriate. 

Note:  No specific accommodation is guaranteed.  Rather, accommodations are determined on an individualized basis and must be tailored to match the needs of the employee without placing an undue hardship on the department.

Note: Neither Human Resources nor the relevant department shall provide an accommodation unless an employee asks for one or otherwise has a known limitation and no employee shall be required to accept an accommodation that is not necessary for the employee to perform their duties. 

In making this determination, HR, in conjunction with the appropriate departmental supervisor, may consider a number of relevant factors, including: 

• The nature and duration of the requested accommodation.
• The impact of the requested accommodation on the performance of the employee’s essential functions or core work-related duties.
• The financial impact of the requested accommodation.
• The impact of the requested accommodation on other employees, students, or university operations.  Note that this may include consideration of seniority within the same unit or department.
• Any alternative accommodations. 

Human Resources may require an employee to provide certification from a health care provider indicating a reasonable accommodation is advisable. The certification must include:

• The date the accommodation became or will become medically advisable;
• An explanation of the medical condition and need for a reasonable accommodation; and
• The probable length of time the accommodation should be provided.

Once HR has secured the certification, it will engage the department in the interactive process to inform them of the type and duration of the accommodation.  If no reasonable accommodation can be made, the employee is notified in writing.

Work Plan

If an accommodation is deemed appropriate and reasonable, both the employee and the departmental representative are notified and the pregnancy accommodation work plan is implemented for the duration specified.

HR and the department will monitor the work plan and review it on occasion to ensure the accommodation enables the employee to complete the necessary work tasks and to ensure effectiveness.