2.24 Accommodation

To define the application of Accommodation at TBPL.

This policy applies to all current employees and applicants for employment of Thunder Bay Public Library, including full and part-time, casual, contract, permanent, and temporary employees. This policy also applies to employees on approved leave including short and long-term disability leave.

This policy applies to all aspects of employment including, but not limited to recruitment, selection, training, promotion, transfers, work arrangements, compensation and benefits, and termination of employment.

The Thunder Bay Public Library Board is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all employees are treated with respect

Thunder Bay Public Library will act in a manner consistent with its obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Thunder Bay Public Library will provide a workplace that ensures equal treatment free from discrimination based on race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability

Thunder Bay Public Library will provide reasonable workplace accommodation, short of undue hardship.

The purpose of accommodation is to ensure that individuals who are otherwise able to work are not discriminated against by being excluded from doing so when working conditions can be adjusted without causing undue hardship to the employer.

Definitions

An Inclusive Workplace means that all employees have the opportunity to contribute and participate in the workplace in a barrier free environment. Critical to the notion of an inclusive workplace is a robust accommodation policy.

Accommodation means taking steps to adjust rules, policies, practices or situations that have a negative impact on an individual or groups, protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Undue Hardship occurs when accommodation adjustments to the workplace would be prohibitively expensive, or create undue risks to health or safety. Each situation will be viewed as unique and assessed individually.

Responsibilities and Expectations

Accommodation is a shared responsibility between employees, supervisors and Thunder Bay Public Library, as the employer. Where an employee seeking accommodations is represented by a Union, the Union must cooperate with the accommodation process.

Thunder Bay Public Library is responsible for:

• eliminating barriers that prevent people from accessing, or being included in, the workplace;
• minimizing the need for individual accommodation by regularly reviewing rules, policies, by-laws and practices to ensure that they are not discriminatory;
• ensuring that all employees and job applicants are advised of their right to be accommodated;
• dealing with requests for accommodation in a good faith, timely, confidential and sensitive manner;
• providing individual accommodation short of undue hardship; and
• ensuring that this policy is effectively implemented.

Supervisors are responsible for:

• fostering an inclusive work environment by treating all employees and job applicants with respect and dignity; and
• identifying and eliminating barriers that prevent people from accessing, or being included in, the workplace.

Human Resources is responsible for:

• dealing with requests for accommodation in a timely, confidential and sensitive manner;
• informing individuals requiring accommodation what information they need to provide to be accommodated;
• generating accommodation options based on the information provided about the individual’s accommodation need(s);
• involving individuals requiring accommodation in the search for accommodation;
• initiating a discussion about accommodation when they are aware that an employee or job applicant may have a need for accommodation, but is unable, for any reason, to articulate that need;
• collaborating with the Employee, Supervisor, Union and other any other pertinent sources of information to develop an appropriate accommodation plan; and
• communicating the outcome of the review of the accommodation request to the necessary individuals.

Employees and job applicants are responsible for:

• making their accommodation needs known. This does not require the disclosure of the specific cause of their needs but only the effects which create the need for accommodation;
• helping to identify potential accommodation options;
• providing documentation in support of their request for accommodation, including information about any restrictions or limitations; and
• accepting an offer of accommodation that meets their needs, even if it is not their preferred accommodation option.

Employees and job applicants can expect:

• to be treated with respect and dignity;
• to have their needs accommodated up to the point of undue hardship; and
• to be informed of the reasons, if their accommodation request is denied.