Employers can ask job applicants if they can perform the essential functions of the job but not if they use a hearing aid, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in updated guidance on Americans with Disabilities Act requirements related to individuals with hearing loss.
About 15% of American adults report some hearing problems and may have ADA disabilities, according to the 31-page guide, whose official release date is Friday.
It states that while the ADA covers employment by private employers with 15 or more workers, some state laws may apply to smaller employers.
Issues addressed in the guidance include how certain offers before and after work disability-related issues may violate the ADA; technologies that can provide a reasonable accommodation for a hearing loss free or at low cost; and the employer̵
7;s concern for safety.The document, “Hearing Impairments in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act,“ update guidance issued in 2014.
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