Living with a disability is hard enough. It gets worse when your employer refuses reasonable changes that let you work. If your employer pushes back, you may face a fight over which accommodations are necessary.
What disability accommodations can cover
An accommodation is a reasonable workplace change that helps you do your essential job tasks. This may include flexible hours, temporary lighter duties or modified equipment.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), covered employers must provide reasonable accommodations tied to job performance. Unfortunately, some employers deny requests citing undue hardship.
When can an employer say no?
An employer is not required to accommodate disabled employees if it causes them unnecessary trouble. Courts look at cost, company size, safety and whether the job’s core duties would change. Examples of likely hardship include:
- Major expenses that affect normal business operations
- Scheduling changes that results in inadequate staffing
- Safety risks to coworkers, customers or the public
- Shortened hours that cause drops in productivity or service quality
- Rewriting a job to the point it no longer includes essential duties
When an accommodation reaches this point, employers may reject your request and call it an undue hardship.
Filing deadlines
You must file with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 300 days or with the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) within 365 days of the denial. Count the deadline from the date the employer refused the accommodation. Missing these deadlines can bar your administrative claim and later lawsuit.
Why limits matter
If your employer wrongly calls a reasonable change an undue hardship, you could lose pay or your job. Make a clear, dated request, provide medical proof and keep copies of all communication. If your employer still refuses, talk to an experienced disability and employment lawyer who can help clarify where accommodation ends and where undue hardship begins. These boundaries often determine the outcome of a disability discrimination case.