Physical Requirements and Job Descriptions

Posted on July 16, 2018

Physical Requirements and Job Descriptions

(LANGUAGE FOR ADA COMPLIANT JOB DESCRIPTIONS)

Many employers have written job descriptions for positions at their companies. However, most companies don’t realize that including the physical requirements and working conditions of a position is as important as the duties and qualifications. If there are environmental, psychological, and or physiological requirements that applicants or employees must meet, these should be included in the job description.

Documenting the physical requirements and working conditions is useful in determining accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It is also helpful in defending a claim of disability discrimination.  When a charge of discrimination is brought under the ADA, and initial issue will be whether the disabled individual could perform not only the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation but could also perform the physical requirements. 

When listing physical requirements, a task should state that specific physical exertion, such as lifting, standing, bending, or reaching, is required. Remember to consider whether a process is truly an essential part of a task.

When writing job descriptions, it is very important to use the correct language.  Certain words can exclude individuals with disabilities.  It is better to select words that convey the actual requirements of the job without limiting the physical demands to certain abilities.  The following table contains examples of words that tend to be exclusionary and substitutes for these words. 

If a physical demand is not essential in the performance of the job, then reference to that demand should be omitted.

Amount of Time	Wording
None	Omit from Job Description
Under 1/3	Seldom to Occasionally
1/3 to 2/3	Occasionally to Frequently
Over 2/3	Constantly

Physical Demand	ADA Compliant Words	Job Description Language Example
Stand or Sit	Stationary position	Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
Walk	Move, Traverse	The person in this position needs to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
Use hands/fingers to handle or feel	Operate, Activate, Use, Prepare, Inspect, Place, Detect, Position	Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery such as a calculator, copy machine and computer printer.
Climb (stairs/ladders) or balance	Ascend/Descend, Work atop, Traverse	Occasionally ascends/descends a ladder to service the lights and ceiling fans
Stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl	Position self (to), Move	Constantly positions self to maintain computers in the lab, including under the desks and in the server closet
Talk/hear	Communicate, Detect, Converse with, Discern, Convey, Expresse oneself, Exchange information	The person in this position frequently communicates with students who have inquiries about their tuition bill or financial aid package. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
See	Detect, Determine, Perceive, Identify, Recognize, Judge, Observe, Inspect, Estimate,Assess	Must be able to detect funnel clouds from long distances.
Taste/Smell	Detect, Distinguish, Determine	Occasionally must be able to distinguish sweet and bitter flavors when creating desserts for Applewood customers.
Carry weight, lift	Move, Transport, Position, Put, Install, Remove	Frequently moves Audio/Visual equipment weighing up to 50 pounds across campus for various classrooms and events needs.
Exposure to work environments	Exposed, work around	Constantly works in outdoor weather conditions.

Source: Office of Human Resources – Mott Community College

Lauren Sims is the article’s author and the Director of Human Resources.

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