Employing Technology in Your ADA Process Just Became More Crucial

By Rachel Shaw, MBA

President and Principal Consultant
Shaw HR Consulting

In many organizations, the rapid spread of COVID-19 has resulted in an increase in accommodation requests. One of the mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is to provide a timely good faith interactive process. This means employers have an obligation — even during a pandemic — to respond to, interact, and make decisions for employees who request accommodations.

Use technology to ensure you don’t miss steps, continue to interact, and document that interaction. Not just important in a pandemic, you’ll see the benefits of employing technology well beyond COVID-19 and in the “new normal” that follows.

Get Your Process Online

If there was ever a time to ditch those hard copy files and sticky notes, that time is now. Start by ensuring all incoming requests for accommodation and documents can be received digitally. This includes medical notes from doctors, many of whom still use fax machines. A number of eFax services allow you to receive medical notes via email for easy placement into your group drive files. Be sure to keep your online filing system up to date and make a habit of saving emails in specific employee folders for easy and searchable access.

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