Tuesday May 16, 2017
What is it?
Federal agencies are required by law to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment, unless to do so would cause undue hardship. An accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are typically done that enables an individual with disabilities to partake in employment opportunities
What is the Army doing?
Army published its updated policy and procedures for requesting and providing reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. The policy and procedures are located in the updated AR 690-12, Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity, dated Dec. 22, 2016. The procedures help Army fulfill its commitment by providing a prompt, fair, and efficient process for responding to reasonable accommodation requests.
What continued efforts are planned for the future?
Army leaders are committed to attracting and hiring a diverse and qualified workforce. To this end, leaders will continue to explore initiatives that create a culture of inclusion that encourages collaboration, flexibility and fairness, enabling individuals with disabilities to participate in the workplace to their fullest potential.
Why is this important to the Army?
Reasonable accommodation is any modification or adjustment to a job or the work environment that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions. The Army is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to its employees and applicants with disabilities, and ensuring that all individuals have full access to equal employment opportunity and can enjoy “benefits and privileges of employment” equal to those enjoyed by similarly-situated employees without disabilities.
Resources:
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Promoting Employment of Individuals with Disabilities in the Federal Workforce
More Information for employees and supervisors: Contact servicing Civilian Personnel Advisory Center, EEO office, or legal advisor for advice on specific circumstances.
Related STAND-TO!:
Subscribe to STAND-TO! to learn about the U.S. Army initiatives.