Accommodating Injured Workers

An employer's duty of accommodation is not limited solely to job applicants newly entering an employer's workforce. Employees may become disabled during the course of their employment, especially due to work related injuries that would be covered by workers' compensation. The fact that an employee is injured on the job and entitled to workers' compensation does not necessarily mean that the employee will be considered ''disabled'' under the ADA. Nonetheless, there will be many workers who are injured on the job whose injuries will be more than merely temporary and who will sustain a substantial long-term or permanent physical or mental impairment. In such circumstances, these injured workers would be considered to be individuals with disabilities covered by the ADA and entitled to reasonable accommodation.