What criterion defines an "undue hardship" for employers in terms of providing accommodations?

The criterion that defines "undue hardship" for employers in terms of providing accommodations is significant difficulty or expense. This relates to the legal framework established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which allows for accommodations for employees with disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer.

Undue hardship is assessed through the lens of whether the accommodation would cause significant difficulty or expense relative to the employer's size, resources, and the nature of the operation. This means that if implementing the accommodation results in considerable disruption to the workplace or if the cost is exorbitant compared to the employer's overall financial situation, then the accommodation may not be required.

In contrast, minor inconvenience or cost does not meet the threshold for undue hardship, which means employers are generally expected to provide reasonable accommodations even if there are some costs involved. Temporary disruption of work is typically seen as an acceptable part of making accommodations, rather than a reason to deny them. Lastly, the refusal of the employee to accommodate also does not align with the definition, as the focus is on the employer's capacity to accommodate rather than the actions of the employee.