Accommodations

Understanding Workplace Accommodations

Disclaimer: This is a free resource created by community and is not for sale. All tools, contents and resources are not to be sold.
Who is this for?

High priority: Direct Managers
Practical information: Corporate Cross-Departmental Managers
Useful to know: HR Professionals

What guidance does it provide?

Understanding the duty to accommodate and the duty to inquire

Take home points

Accommodation is as much about organizational culture and trust as it is about the policies that are created and the legal rules that are in place. An open and accepting culture towards accommodation will increase inclusion and reduce conflict during the accommodation process

Employers have a legal duty to accommodate. This duty ensures that individuals requiring accommodation are not unfairly excluded where working conditions can be adjusted

A lesser-known legal obligation that has been very clearly established in Canadian case law is the duty to inquire. The duty to inquire exists when an employer is either made aware of or perceives that a worker may need an accommodation – even if they have not outrightly asked for one.

By adopting a yes by default approach and asking all employees “what do you need” is a fundamental change in workplace culture. A “yes” approach prioritizes the processing of solutions for accommodation for all employees, including those with disabilities without the time-consuming and quality of current adjustment processes.

What Are Workplace Accommodations?

The Government of Canada1 defines a workplace accommodation as:

  • Workplace accommodations involve the adaptation of work duties or the working environment, to enable all employees to fully participate in employment.

Rooted in collaboration between the employer and the worker, proper workplace accommodations can lift workplace barriers[1] and allow persons with disabilities equal access to new job opportunities, support the retention of meaningful work, or facilitate the return to work if a person has been absent because of their disability.


[1] A barrier means anything — including anything physical, architectural, technological, or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice — that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation (Accessible Canada Act, 2019).

Inform the employer about the need for accommodation when they are able to identify their needs
Provide details about relevant restrictions-including information from health care professionals- when appropriate and as required
Collaborate with the employer to find an appropriate accommodation and participate in the development of an individual accommodation plan
Work with the employer to monitor and evaluate the accommodation

  • Inform the employer about the need for an accommodation when they are able to identify their needs
  • Provide details about relevant restrictions-including information from health care professionals- when appropriate and as required
  • Collaborate with the employer to find an appropriate accommodation and participate in the development of an individual accommodation plan
  • Work with the employer to monitor and evaluate the accommodation
  • Duty to inquire
  • Accept a worker’s accommodation request in good faith
  • Help workers who may need accommodations identify their needs
  • Record every accommodation request and any actions taken
  • Collaborate with the worker to find an appropriate accommodation
  • Maintain the employee’s privacy
  • Request only the functional capacity information that is required to determine an appropriate accommodation
  • Seek expert opinion where needed and investigate alternative accommodation
  • Provide an accommodation in a timely manner
  • Provide guidance and support to workers and supervisors regarding workplace accommodation and the duty to accommodate
  • Respond to requests in a confidential and sensitive manner
  • Inform the worker about any documentation/supporting information that may be necessary
  • Request guidance from internal and external resources as appropriate
  • Collaborate with all parties to generate reasonable accommodation options based on the information provided
  • Participate actively in the accommodation process
  • Work with the employer to facilitate the accommodation
  • Support the accommodation irrespective of collective agreements, unless to do so would constitute undue hardship for the employer
  • Other experts include accessibility experts, assistive technology professionals, procurement department, healthcare, and insurance providers.
  • Provide appropriate and effective guidance to the employee and employer
  • Impart required information about the worker’s functional abilities, if requested
  • Support stakeholders in connecting with community resources and training opportunities

Exploring Types of Accommodations

Who is this for?

High priority:
Direct managers
Corporate cross-departmental managers


Direct managers
HR Professionals

What guidance does it provide?

Understanding different types of accommodations that can be provided to workers with disabilities
Practical suggestions for how to implement accommodations for specific needs

Take home points

There are 3 common categorizations for types of accommodation: flexible work arrangements, workstation modifications, and human and/or technical support
If your worker requests an accommodation, you should engage in a collaborative process to co-determine what accommodation solutions may be implemented to support them in the workplace:

  • Assess stressors related to psychological, emotional, cognitive, and physical issues at work
  • Develop strategies that may best support worker success
  • Help maintain a safe and productive workplace

Employers and workers may start by reviewing the worker’s essential job responsibilities to both determine expectations and identify what barriers they may face when performing core tasks

A bank branch manager with carpal tunnel syndrome experiences pain when completing quarterly reports.

Potential Solution :

The employer purchases an ergonomic keyboard.

Reported Benefit :

The branch manager experiences less pain and stress, which improves productivity and morale.

Estimated Cost: $70

A women wearing a headwrap sitting at a desk. Her laptop is on a riser on the desk in front of her

An insurance claims adjustor with cancer has difficulty concentrating, deals with fatigue, and experiences trouble when trying to remember tasks. Their physician says these are related to their chemotherapy and medication, which may sometimes impact their ability to focus.

Potential Solution :

The employer reduces auditory and visual distractions by moving the worker’s desk to a quieter area.

Reported Benefit :

The claims adjustor can more easily focus on their work and meets or exceed their goals. The employer benefits from having a more satisfied worker and increased productivity

Estimated Cost: $0

A facilities worker at the corporate office with a back injury has trouble lifting, carrying, and kneeling.

Potential Solution:
The employer provides ergonomic and lightweight cleaning equipment.

Reported Benefit:
The worker can perform their job without pain.

Estimated Cost: $200

A financial advisor discloses during onboarding that they are living with Schizophrenia. At this time, the occurrence of symptoms is relatively low, but can increase due to environmental and personal triggers.

Potential Solution :

The employer develops strategies with the worker to deal with behavioural and health problems before they arise, including who to call (e.g., family, friend, health professional, etc.) if the worker appears to be unwell. The employer encourages ongoing, open communication with the worker to learn better ways to support.

Reported Benefit :

The financial advisor feels acknowledged and trusting of their environment. By having a gameplan, the worker feels prepared for when they may experience barriers at work.

Estimated Cost: $0

Hi there. I’m Leighton and I’m going to talk about some of the accommodations that I have received as an employee.

I was originally introduced to my current organization back in 2019. Some of the barriers I had with finding employment were connected to having OCD, ADD, and some physical restraints and injuries that I had experienced over the years. The organization was nothing but kind, caring, and inclusive, and now I have a job I enjoy.

One of my accommodations is ergonomic mouse that helps me deal with my repetitive strain injury that I received about two years ago. Before, I couldn’t work for many hours due to the pain in my wrist. So now I can work a full day without any problem. Same goes for having an ergonomic chair. I’ve been doing well emotionally, mental health wise, and general health wise as well, because of the organization’s workplace supports and accommodations. I was able to take sick time off that was paid during a surgery I had. This meant I didn’t have to worry about financial troubles while I was recovering, which was amazing.

So, to me, that’s what inclusion really means – finding ways to support staff to do their best work. If there’s one thing, I could tell people who are maybe new and worried about asking for accommodations in the workplace, it’s to know your rights. You do have the right to work in a place that is comfortable and accommodating to you. If someone pushes back, know your rights, and implement them.

Protecting Confidentiality and Privacy

Who is this for?

High priority:
Direct managers
Corporate cross-departmental managers


Practical information:
HR Professionals

What guidance does it provide?
  • How to protect and action for confidentiality and privacy in all accommodation processes for employees
Take home points

Requests for accommodation may involve disclosing private or highly sensitive information. Ask people requesting accommodation only for information required to establish the foundation of the accommodation request, and to respond appropriately to the request.

At a minimum, employers must communicate with workers what personal information will be collected, used, and disclosed. Employers should also ensure that information they collect for one purpose isn’t used for an unrelated purpose without the employee’s consent.

Impart unto all employees that accommodations are a key driver of equity in the workplace.

Sharing Responsibility with All Employees

Who is this for?

High priority:
Direct managers
Corporate cross-departmental managers


Practical information:
HR Professionals

What guidance does it provide?
  • The benefits of creating a shared responsibility amongst all employees
  • · How to help manage co-workers concerns about workplace change whilst respecting confidentiality
Take home points

Shared responsibility facilitates psychological wellbeing and supports performance. Both employers and employees feel responsible; they feel the organization has a collective source where all can invest their energy into to ensure its future success

Disclosure could be ongoing – colleagues will react differently depending on their working relationship with the employee with the disability. Managers need to be aware that disability inclusion and a culture of support spans much further than the first conversation about disclosure

As a manager, it is your responsibility to communicate the importance of privacy and confidentiality of personal information, such as accommodation plans and disability disclosure, to all employees

Developing Approaches to Accommodations

Who is this for?

High priority:
Direct managers
Corporate cross-departmental managers


Practical information:
HR Professionals

What guidance does it provide?
  • Developing an understanding of different thought processes behind nuanced accommodation approaches
  • How to develop an accommodation strategy and HR polices that best suit your organization
  • Break down of 5 fundamental approaches to adopt in developing an accommodation strategy
  • Access to useful, fillable checklists and relevant documents to support your accommodation process
Take home points

There is no set formula for accommodation.

Here are a few fundamental approaches to consider when creating an inclusive and accessible accommodation process and implementing change through HR policies:

Approach 1: Standardized – is a process that is simple, straightforward, and efficient. As best practice, an employer and an employee with a disability should work together to determine and implement appropriate accommodation measures

Approach 2: De-medicalized – This approach means they will not ask for medical ‘proof’ of a disability. It also reflects an understanding of disability through the social model of disability, where societal barriers are what cause the experience of disability.

Approach 3: Individualized – Employers may be tempted to assume that if one accommodation works for a person with a specific type of disability, the accommodation will be suitable for a different worker with the same disability. However, two employees with the same disability may have very different needs. The way that workers experience disability differently calls for a flexible and individualized approach to accommodations.

Approach 4: Proactive – Accessibility means that an organization has taken steps to ensure that everyone, no matter what their background, language, disability, or personal needs, can feel comfortable in the workspace and productively engage in the services.

Approach 5: Responsive – This approach should be used adjacent to all approaches in the accommodation process. The best practice is to address an employee’s needs as quickly as possible.

Breaking Down the Accommodation Process

Who is this for?

High priority:
Direct managers
Corporate cross-departmental managers

What guidance does it provide?
  • If you are a manager looking to accommodate a worker with a disability, follow the 5 steps recommended to ensure that the accommodation is accessible to all
  • How to ensure the provision of assistive technology in the accommodation process is inclusive and accessible
Take home points
  • Workplace accommodations are modifications made at any stage of the employment journey that enable all workers to fully participate in employment.
  • While accommodation in most cases is straightforward and simple, it can sometimes be a lengthy and complex process. In any case, it is important that the accommodation process be effective and respect the dignity of accommodation seekers.
  • Assistive technology is essentially a service that directly assists an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive device.
  • Even before a request for an accommodation is received, an employer must inform all employees and job applicants that accommodation measures are available within the organization.
Guidance from the Canadian
Human Rights Commission

Navigating return to work cases can be challenging. It requires a fine balance between an employer’s right to manager an effective organization, with a worker’s basic rights to accessibility, privacy, equity, and dignity in the workplace. As a manager, you may feel uncertain or unsure about how to support an employee who is returning to work – especially when there are new requests for accommodations. The Canadian Human Rights Commission has developed a step-by-step procedure to support your approach and decisions around return to work:1

1. Maintain contact with the employee during a prolonged absence
2. Respond when the employee tells you they are ready to work
3. Create a case file
4. Meet with the employee
5. Review any medical information submitted by the employee. Request any further information, if necessary, with the employees’ consent

1. This can include information about the employee’s current medical condition and prognosis for recovery (if available)
2. If medical information provided is inadequate, obtain expert advice

1. Determine if it is necessary to consult with the union. You are required to include the union in return-to-work discussions when proposed accommodation measure may affect rights of other employees or the employee has required their union representatives to be present
2. Arrange to speak with a union representative

1. Decide on your accommodation options
2. Discuss your recommendations with the employee

1. Monitor the effectiveness of the accommodation
2.Advise the employee of the appeals and complaints process (if necessary)

“I have been bullied my whole life. | have always been shy, always scared to take up space. How could | not be? What | saw was that there were clear roles for girls and boys. | was neither, so | felt | did not deserve anything. All this caused anxiety, existential questions about my self-worth, fear of social situations and more. | later found out that this was called gender dysphoria.

My manager was amazing with me when he noticed that | was struggling working face to face with clients as a bank teller. Instead of firing me, he suggested | opt for the universal supports and employee benefits the company offers to everyone. | used the company’s Employee Assistance Program for counselling and began seeing a psychologist. Therapy helped me understand myself much better and find my voice, which in the end increased my job performance.”

Managing Employees Returning-to-Work

Who is this for?

High priority:
Direct managers
Corporate cross-departmental managers

What guidance does it provide?
  • · How to effectively implement an accessible and inclusive return to work plan
Take home points
  • Workplace accommodations are modifications made at any stage of the employment journey that enable all workers to fully participate in employment.
  • While accommodation in most cases is straightforward and simple, it can sometimes be a lengthy and complex process. In any case, it is important that the accommodation process be effective and respect the dignity of accommodation seekers.
  • Assistive technology is essentially a service that directly assists an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive device.
  • Even before a request for an accommodation is received, an employer must inform all employees and job applicants that accommodation measures are available within the organization.

Navigating return to work cases can be challenging. It requires a fine balance between an employer’s right to manage an effective organization, with a workers basic rights to accessibility, privacy, equity, and dignity in the workplace.

A Closer Look at Assistive Technology

Who is this for?

High priority:
Direct Managers

Practical Information:
Information Technology Professionals

What guidance does it provide?
  • Information to help you understand different uses of assistive technology and how to best implement to support employees with disabilities
  • Recommendations on current resources, devices, and models to accommodate employees with disabilities
Take home points

When an injury or disability can have or has consequences, a variety of processes are possible:

  • Treatment
  • Training
  • Rehabilitation
  • Vocational rehabilitation
  • Medical guidance

The purpose of assistive devices is to solve users’ practical problems and they should be part of a plan. Individual plans make for a more efficient provision of assistive devices.

Please re-visit the tool to learn more on the various types of assistive devices and technologies

Supporting the Development of Accommodation Passports

Who is this for?

High priority:
Direct managers
Corporate cross-departmental managers

Practical information:
HR Professionals

What guidance does it provide?
  • How to create and document the requirements of employees who require further accommodations within the workplace
  • Guidance on best practices on negotiations, conversations, and privacy
Take home points
  • Accommodation passports are dynamic, confidential documents agreed-upon between an employee and their manager about changes to work, with a built-in review period to ensure they reflect the current situation for the employee in the workplace
  • By adopting a ‘yes by default’ approach and asking all employees what they need, you create a fundamental change in workplace culture. The goal is to always support everyone’s needs.
  • An employee’s decision to talk to their direct manager about the passport should always be treated sensitively and respectfully.
  • At their own discretion, someone with a passport can share it with anyone they think needs to know about the barriers they face and the accommodations they need.

“Have you heard of this thing called accommodation passport? It is amazing. When I first got diagnosed with aphasia, I had difficulty explaining what it was to my colleagues and especially my managers. With this passport, I put in all the information I deem necessary for work once and it transfers to all my new managers, making it an easier and less stressful transition for all. Sometimes, when I realize a new tool may help me, I simply add it to the passport. I do not have to go through answering the same questions over and over again to every new person who joins the team. Being at the company for close to 30 years had created a shift in the culture, where I am comfortable disclosing what I need, and I am happy to see that my younger colleagues have been inspired by it as well. Some have even realized what their needs are and feel a lot more open to expressing them. This is a major win for everyone!”

Learning From Promising Practices in the Accommodation Space

Who is this for?

High priority:
HR Professionals
IT Professionals

Practical information:
Health and Safety Facilities

What guidance does it provide?
  • Outlines promising practices to ensure accommodation processes and policies go above and beyond in supporting all employees
  • Recommends resources and other sources of information to expand knowledge base
Take home points
  • Centralized accommodation programs can provide both a standardized accommodation process and a centralized accommodation fund. By adopting this practice, business can deliver consistent, streamlined accommodations quickly to address their employee’s needs and reduce cost concerns
  • Partnering with local providers such as Accommodation and Inclusion Management (AIM) can help provide direct support to develop inclusive workplace and implement workplace accommodations and adjustments
  • The most requested accommodation in the workplace is assistive technology. Review TD’s assistive technology catalogue which highlights various features and capabilities of the assistive technology standards

Learning From Promising Practices in the Accommodation Space

Employers must be innovative, practical, and timely when considering accommodation options. The following Promising Practices can be used by businesses to develop accommodation HR policies that are consistent with the requirements of the Accessible Canada Act and can be adopted to your workplace.

Promising Practice 1: Creating A Centralized Accommodation Program

Employers are required by law to provide workplace accommodations. However, by going above and beyond to ensure easy and timely access to accommodations for both applicants and workers, you highlight your business’s commitment to disability confidence and workplace inclusion. You can work towards this by developing straightforward policies and processes for workplace accommodations or a centralized accommodation program. A centralized accommodation program can provide a:

Adopting a centralized accommodation program can yield several benefits:

· Delivers consistent, timely, and streamlined accommodations

· Reduces potential concerns about the costs of workplace accommodations

· Encourages employers to follow through with their legal duty to accommodate

· Establishes clear roles for important actors in the accommodation process (e.g., accommodation coordinator, individuals in IT, HR, Facilities, etc.)

· Communicates to employees that their needs are important and reduces stigma associated with workplace accommodations

The design of a centralized accommodation program is meant to be flexible.

Creating Flexible Workplaces

Who is this for?

High priority:
Direct managers
Corporate cross-department managers

What guidance does it provide?
  • Exploring the different facets of hybrid and remote work opportunities
  • Showcasing what to look for and how to implement accommodations in a virtual setting
  • Ensuring workplace accommodations within hybrid and remote works are seen as necessities to best support employees with disabilities
  • Emphasizing the importance of mental health and workplace culture when accommodating remotely
Take home points
  • When designing a hybrid strategy, it’s important to keep employee’s preferences, capabilities, and limitations in mind while setting clear boundaries. This will help ensure all teams align with the organization’s goals and obligations no matter where (or when) they work
  • Often, hybrid models of work and/or other remote locations are considered ‘flexible’ work arrangements. For employees who NEED to be working from home, this means the employer is only accommodating their needs 50% of the time. This can lead to further isolation and distress for employees who require a remote setting because they are seen as being ‘inflexible’ compared to their in-person peers.
  • Remote work may be socially isolating for individuals. Bringing remote team members together in single locations and events for meetings and events can provide opportunities to interact frequently with other team members.

“Around the time when my husband’s visa got rejected and he was deported, my baby was born soon after. My husband left me behind with a newborn, and I was so lost. I needed my job more than anything, but a baby gets sick often, the daycare hours are not always compatible with my demands at work.
After missing out on several days of work, my manager and I set up a meeting to discuss some possible solutions. He was incredibly understanding and offered flexibility in my schedule by introducing a work-from-home option. Sometimes I work at night when my baby is finally asleep and my mind is quiet. I have to take fewer sick days now, while I also getting to spend quality time with my baby and still enjoy being a professional career woman.”