Certified Staffing Profesional Practice Exam

If a hearing-impaired contract employee requests reasonable accommodation during an assignment, who is responsible for the costs?

1. Only the staffing firm.

2. Only the client company.

3. Both the staffing firm and client company.

4. Neither party is responsible.

The correct answer is: Both the staffing firm and client company.

The correct understanding of the responsibility for costs associated with reasonable accommodations for a hearing-impaired contract employee lies in the collaborative nature of the employer-employee relationship. In a staffing arrangement, both the staffing firm and the client company have roles to play in ensuring that reasonable accommodations are provided. The staffing firm typically remains the employer of record, making it responsible for the overall management and support of the contract employee, which includes addressing any needs for accommodations. However, since the client company is where the employee is actually placed and performs their work, they also have a responsibility to provide accommodations that allow the employee to work effectively in their environment. This dual responsibility means that both parties should work together to determine how best to meet these accommodation needs and negotiate the costs associated with them. Such collaboration is essential to ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and fostering an inclusive workplace that supports diversity among employees, including those with disabilities.