Companies allow employees with disabilities the flexibility to get their job done in a
variety of different ways. If employees with disabilities are expected to work in
different departments, managers should plan in advance and have reasonable
accommodations for those tasks on hand. For example, if a front-desk employee with
a visual impairment may be expected to work at the concierge desk, that computer
should also be preemptively set up with the necessary assistive technologies.
Part-time Work: Employment in most parts of the hospitality industry revolves
around part-time and temporary/seasonal employees—these employees meet the
fluctuating needs of the hotel without committing to the extra costs of hiring a fulltime
employee. The Department of Labor estimates that two out of five employees in
the hospitality industry are part-time employees—more than twice the proportion for
all other industries.
31 This flexibility necessitated by the nature of the hospitality
industry could be a barrier to employment for people with disabilities because parttime
employees usually receive limited benefits.
32 This could dissuade people with
disabilities (some of whom may need full benefits to cover the cost of medication)
from applying if employment means forgoing full governmental support for
medication.
While the use of part-time and temporary employees is unlikely to change, companies
in the hospitality industry can find reasonable ways to accommodate the needs of
people with disabilities. For example, companies can set-up their benefits plan in a
way where employees with disabilities will not lose government assistance for
necessary medication.