CESP Workplace Accommodations & Job Retention 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When an employer denies an accommodation request, the employment specialist should advise the employee to:
- Immediately resign and seek a new job
- Accept the decision without question
- Request a written explanation and explore whether alternative accommodations are possible (Correct answer)
- File a lawsuit against the employer
Correct answer: Request a written explanation and explore whether alternative accommodations are possible
Requesting written documentation of the denial and continuing the interactive process to explore alternatives is the appropriate first response before pursuing legal remedies.
Question 2: Which of the following best illustrates a 'situational assessment' in the context of job retention?
- A formal psychological evaluation conducted by a licensed clinician
- Observing an employee performing job tasks in the actual work environment to identify support needs (Correct answer)
- A written test measuring an employee's vocational aptitude
- A supervisor's annual performance review
Correct answer: Observing an employee performing job tasks in the actual work environment to identify support needs
A situational assessment evaluates the individual's performance in a real or simulated work setting to identify barriers and accommodation needs in context.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of a systemic barrier to job retention for people with disabilities?
- An individual employee's lack of motivation
- Employer benefit structures that penalize earnings above Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) thresholds (Correct answer)
- A single coworker's negative attitude
- An employee arriving late on one occasion
Correct answer: Employer benefit structures that penalize earnings above Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) thresholds
Benefit cliffs created by SGA rules under SSI/SSDI can discourage workers with disabilities from increasing earnings, representing a systemic policy barrier to retention.
Question 4: Under the ADA, an employer may ask about an employee's disability:
- At any time during the hiring or employment process
- Only during the pre-offer stage of hiring
- Only when the disability is obvious or the employee volunteers information
- When the employer has a reasonable belief that performance or safety is affected by a medical condition (Correct answer)
Correct answer: When the employer has a reasonable belief that performance or safety is affected by a medical condition
Post-hire, an employer may make disability-related inquiries only when there is a legitimate belief that job performance or workplace safety may be impacted by a medical condition.
Question 5: A supported employee's accommodation plan should be reviewed:
- Never, once established
- Only when the employee files a formal complaint
- Periodically and whenever job duties, conditions, or the employee's needs change (Correct answer)
- Only during annual performance reviews
Correct answer: Periodically and whenever job duties, conditions, or the employee's needs change
Accommodation plans should be dynamic and reviewed regularly as the employee's condition, job functions, or workplace environment evolve.
Question 6: Which agency administers the Ticket to Work program that supports job retention for Social Security beneficiaries?
- The Department of Labor
- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- The Social Security Administration (Correct answer)
- The Office of Disability Employment Policy
Correct answer: The Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers the Ticket to Work program, which provides employment services to SSI and SSDI beneficiaries.
Question 7: When documenting a workplace accommodation in a supported employment case file, the specialist should record:
- Only the employer's perspective on the accommodation
- The accommodation request, the interactive process steps taken, the agreed solution, and the date of implementation (Correct answer)
- The employee's full medical diagnosis and treatment history
- Only the outcome — whether the accommodation was granted or denied
Correct answer: The accommodation request, the interactive process steps taken, the agreed solution, and the date of implementation
Comprehensive documentation of the process — from request through implementation — demonstrates good faith, supports compliance, and guides future reviews.
CESP Workplace Accommodations & Job Retention 5
When an employer denies an accommodation request, the employment specialist should advise the employee to: