What are Essential Job Functions?
Factors to consider in determining if a function is essential include:
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whether the reason the position exists is to perform that function,
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the number of other employees available to perform the function or among whom the performance of the function can be distributed, and
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the degree of expertise or skill required to perform the function.
Your judgment as to which functions are essential, and a written job description prepared before advertising or interviewing for a job will be considered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as evidence of essential functions. Other kinds of evidence that EEOC will consider include:
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the actual work experience of present or past employees in the job,
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the time spent performing a function,
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the consequences of not requiring that an employee perform a function, and
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the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.
Other relative factors such as the nature and scope of the work operation and the employer's organizational structure may be factors in determining whether a function is essential.
For more information on job descriptions and essential job functions visit JobDescriptions.html.