The question: Is it undue hardship or is it a regular hardship? Those of us in HR in Canada need to consider this. And we can always brush up on the duty to accommodate so check out this video.

This was the focus of my conversation with Dylan Snowdon. Dylan is an Employment Lawyer and Instructor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary. This is something he is asked about a lot and here are some of his insights:

✅ You have to accommodate, but can consider those accommodations that have the least impact on the employer.

🧐 Accommodations can take many forms, and it doesn’t always have to be a big or complicated solution.

😢 The difficult accommodations are when there are a lot of unknowns or the employer is not accepting. Mental health often falls in this category.

📢 Whenever someone requests accommodation, the duty has been triggered.

Remember, the duty to accommodate is an important part of creating an inclusive workplace. By making reasonable efforts to accommodate the needs of employees, employers can create a workplace that is welcoming and supportive of all employees.

Find Dylan at www.carbertwaite.com.

Andrea is an HR Consultant and can be found at www.thehrhub.ca.