The duty to accommodate is what kind of responsibility?

The duty to accommodate is what kind of responsibility?

• A. Sole responsibility of the employer
• B. Shared responsibility - employer and employee
• C. Sole responsibility of the employee
• D. Shared with unions only

Answer: (B)

The duty to accommodate arises from human rights protections and is shared between the employer and the employee. The employer has to adjust policies, practices, or the work environment to permit a protected employee to participate in work and perform their job, up to the point of undue hardship. This can involve changes to duties, schedules, facilities, equipment, or other supports. But the employee also has to play a part: they must identify their needs, participate in the accommodation discussions, and provide necessary information to help identify workable options. The process is collaborative and ongoing, not one-sided. Unions aren’t the sole or exclusive vehicle for accommodation, though they can be involved if relevant; the essential duty sits with both parties working together. That mutual obligation is why the correct understanding is that the duty to accommodate is a shared responsibility between employer and employee.

The duty to accommodate arises from human rights protections and is shared between the employer and the employee. The employer has to adjust policies, practices, or the work environment to permit a protected employee to participate in work and perform their job, up to the point of undue hardship. This can involve changes to duties, schedules, facilities, equipment, or other supports.

But the employee also has to play a part: they must identify their needs, participate in the accommodation discussions, and provide necessary information to help identify workable options. The process is collaborative and ongoing, not one-sided.

Unions aren’t the sole or exclusive vehicle for accommodation, though they can be involved if relevant; the essential duty sits with both parties working together. That mutual obligation is why the correct understanding is that the duty to accommodate is a shared responsibility between employer and employee.