A large percentage of work time is spent performing the duty.
There are no (or a limited number of) other employees available to whom to assign that
job duty.
The work is so highly specialized that the person filling the job is hired for his or her
expertise and ability to perform that job duty.
The employer judges the job duties to be essential to the job.
Serious consequences would result if the employee were not required to perform the job
duty.
Terms of a collective bargaining agreement require the job duty to be performed.
Individuals in that job in the past performed the job duty and/or individuals in similar
jobs currently perform the job duty.
The time spent performing the function. A function that is not required very often may
still be essential depending upon the consequences of failing to perform that function. A
firefighter, for instance, may not regularly have to carry an unconscious adult from a
burning building, but that function is still essential.
In determining essential functions, consider whether removal or redistribution of certain tasks is
possible. Would removal of the task fundamentally alter the position? What about reassignment of
the task?
It is critical that the job description language focuses on the results and not the methods. While
performing essential functions is fundamental, one particular manner of performance is often
unnecessary, unless doing otherwise would create an undue hardship. It is often possible for
employees to perform the same functions in different ways. Do not include language that is biased
toward employees with disabilities. Some examples of unbiased language are as follows:
“Communicates” rather than “talks” or “hears”
“Moves” or “transports” rather than “carries”
“Determines” or “identifies” rather than “sees”
“Operates” rather than “feels”
B. NON ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES/OTHER FUNCTIONS
All remaining duties are considered "nonessential" within the context of the ADA, which means
that the function could be reassigned to another employee in order to allow a disabled individual
to hold the position. Alternatively, the manager could try to provide a reasonable accommodation
so that the disabled individual could perform the function.
III. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
In this section, employers should list all minimum required qualifications (sometimes called
“Knowledge, Skills, Abilities”) for the position, including the basic knowledge, skills, abilities,
physical abilities, experience, licenses, training, educational requirements, etc. required for the
position. Note that “qualifications” are not “functions,” i.e., qualifications are not tasks or actions
the employee is required to do or perform. Instead, they are “attributes” that an individual must
already possess at the time of hire in order to be qualified for the position. Minimum required
qualifications could include, for example, a 4-year college degree, 2 years of experience in a similar
position, or the ability to regularly lift 25 lbs. and occasionally lift 50 lbs.