Disability - Workplace Roles and Responsibilities
Everyone - employers, unions, and persons with disabilities - has a shared responsibility for making the accommodation process a success. Nothing forces a person to reveal a disability. However, when an accommodation is requested, everyone involved should cooperatively share information and actively seek solutions.
It is the responsibility of persons with disabilities to:
- inform their employers of their needs;
- cooperate in obtaining necessary information, including medical or other expert opinions;
- participate in discussions about solutions, and
- work with the employer and union on an ongoing basis to manage the
accommodation process.
Unions and professional associations must:
- take an active role as partners in the accommodation process;
- share joint responsibility with the employer to promote accommodation, and
- support accommodation measures regardless of the collective agreement.
Employers are required to:
- accept requests for accommodation in good faith;
- request only information that is required to make the accommodation;
- obtain expert advice or opinion where necessary;
- take an active role in ensuring that possible solutions are examined;
- maintain the confidentiality of persons with disabilities;
- deal with accommodation requests in a timely way, and
- bear the cost of any required medical information or documentation.
Everyone involved must treat human rights issues arising in the workplace seriously and respectfully.