What does undue hardship mean in the ADA context?

• A. Minor cost or disruption
• B. No cost at all
• C. A difficult but manageable accommodation
• D. Significant difficulty or expense for the employer given its size, resources, and overall operation, making the accommodation unreasonable

Answer: (D)

Undue hardship means an accommodation would impose a significant difficulty or expense on the employer, considering the employer’s size, resources, and overall operation. This standard isn’t about a minor inconvenience or small costs; it looks at whether providing the accommodation would be so costly, time-consuming, or disruptive that it would fundamentally change the business or place an excessive burden on its operations. So, if a requested change would require major structural work, drain resources, or seriously impair the company’s ability to function, it can be considered undue hardship. In contrast, a minor cost or disruption, or simply a difficult but manageable accommodation, would not meet this threshold. The assessment is fact-specific, weighing factors like financial resources, the number of employees, and the impact on operations.