May an employer be required to provide more than one accommodation to an employee with a disability?

May an employer be required to provide more than one accommodation to an employee with a disability?

Issue:

Gayle was diagnosed with diabetes several months ago and took some time off to attend a class on how to administer insulin injections. Now she's asking for a modified schedule with more breaks so she can eat more often to keep her blood levels from dropping too low and a private area where she can test her blood sugar levels or administer insulin injections. You feel you have fulfilled your obligation for a reasonable accommodation by granting her request for leave to attend class. Are you required to provide her other accommodation requests?

Answer:

Yes. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an employer's duty to provide a reasonable accommodation is an ongoing one. Although some employees with diabetes may require only one reasonable accommodation, others like Gayle may need more than one. An employer must consider each request for a reasonable accommodation and determine whether it would be effective and whether providing it would pose an undue hardship.

Source: EEOC Guidance: Questions and Answers about Diabetes in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/diabetes.cfm, reported in Employment Practices Guide, New Developments ¶5372.

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