When is an employer not required to accommodate a person with disabilities?

An employer is not required to accommodate a person with disabilities when it would result in an undue hardship. This term refers to a significant difficulty or expense that would be imposed on the employer if they were to provide the requested accommodation. The concept of undue hardship takes into account various factors, including the size of the business, the resources available, and the nature of the accommodation needed. If providing the accommodation would lead to significant financial strain or operational challenges for the employer, they are legally permitted to decline the request.

In contrast, while the cost of an accommodation can be a factor in determining undue hardship, simply being too costly doesn't automatically absolve the employer from making accommodations. Additionally, an employer still has obligations to engage in an interactive process to explore viable alternatives that might be reasonable and feasible. Being unqualified is also not a condition under which accommodations can be denied since the focus is on making adjustments to enable a qualified individual to perform their job. Lastly, the physical demands of a job do not inherently exempt employers from making accommodations when possible; it is the specific context of requesting the accommodation that matters.