EVALUATE PERFOMANCE
After the accommodation has been implemented, the employee’s performance must be monitored and evaluated to determine whether the accommodation is enabling the employee to perform the essential functions of his or her job. Since each situation is unique, there is no set timeframe for reassessment although a common approach is to evaluate the accommodation at 90-day intervals. Rehabilitation professionals can provide direction on an evaluation process and timeframes for assessing progress based on each situation. The most important input, of course, will come from the employee using the accommodation to perform his/her job.
A sample Accommodation Evaluation form is provided for use by an employee to rate how well their accommodation enables them to perform essential job functions. This approach uses a simple “A-B-C” rating system:
A -- The accommodation is very effective and no changes are needed.
B -- The accommodation is effective, but there’s room for improvement.
C -- The accommodation is not effective and a different approach is needed.
This rating is done from the employee’s perspective, but it may also be helpful to evaluate how well the employee is performing essential job functions, from the supervisor’s perspective. A comparison of the two evaluations can prove to be a useful tool for addressing performance issues.
MODIFY ACCOMMODATION AS NEEDED
Based on the Accommodation Evaluation results, it may become necessary to modify the accommodation to improve its effectiveness. Any accommodations that receive less than an “A” rating should be reassessed to determine how to improve it.
MONITOR ON-GOING PERFORMANCE
Once an accommodation has been agreed upon and provided, it is important to maintain it. Here are questions to consider to ensure a successful accommodation is maintained:
