In this Lincoln Absence Advisor episode, we look at how employers use the interactive process as a standardized framework to find accommodations for employees with disabilities and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Although not formally required, the interactive process is a best practice that helps employers track accommodations and denials, measure effectiveness, and ensure equitable handling of all requests. Members of Lincoln’s product and return-to-work teams help define the process and answer common employer questions. We’ll hear how using the interactive process can result in less liability and more cost-effective accommodations while improving employer retention and morale.
Resources: Lincoln’s Interactive Process Guide | Job Accommodation Network (JAN) | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
© 2022 Lincoln National Corporation. All rights reserved. LCN-4828024-063022
In this Lincoln Absence Advisor episode, we look at how employers use the interactive process as a standardized framework to find accommodations for employees with disabilities and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Although not formally required, the interactive process is a best practice that helps employers track accommodations and denials, measure effectiveness, and ensure equitable handling of all requests. Members of Lincoln’s product and return-to-work teams help define the process and answer common employer questions. We’ll hear how using the interactive process can result in less liability and more cost-effective accommodations while improving employer retention and morale.
Resources: Lincoln’s Interactive Process Guide | Job Accommodation Network (JAN) | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
© 2022 Lincoln National Corporation. All rights reserved. LCN-4828024-063022
Hi everyone, this is Karen Batson Marketing Manager at Lincoln Financial Group. In today's episode we tackle the topic of the interactive process which we've found everyone knows different types of information around this process. So our hope is to provide some clarity some meaning and just have a broad discussion and why it's important to our organization. I'm joined by product lead Annie Jantz who manages our leave and accommodation product, and Melissa Michuda who works on our accommodation team focusing on return to work and stay at work for employees. I hope you enjoy today's episode. Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining the podcast today.
Annie Jantz:Hi Karen!
Melissa Michuda:Hello.
Jack Fitzgerald:How's it going, guys?
Karen Batson:So we are here to talk about the interactive process. But before we jump into any conversation, if we could all introduce ourselves and how we're related to kind of the accommodation, ADA interactive process, subject matter. Melissa of you want to start?
Melissa Michuda:Sure. My name is Melissa Michuda and I am a vocational manager. And I actually supervise all of our accommodation staff that deal with Stay at Work referrals, as well as the vocational assistance referral. So all the masters level vocational rehabilitation consultants for those events that need additional assistance.
Karen Batson:So you live this every day.
Melissa Michuda:Every day.
Annie Jantz:Hi, I'm Annie Jantz and I am a product consultant, and I manage our product lines here at Lincoln, in particular, our accommodation services. So I'm always looking at this and you know, what material do we need? How can we help to provide more information on a certain process or on you know, what the employer is responsible for maybe what the guidelines are? And we're also looking internally at how can we better service our customers? So just general product information.
Karen Batson:Jack? Do you wanna introduce yourself during the podcast?
Jack Fitzgerald:For sure? Yeah, my name is Jack. I'm an intern right now, Lincoln Financial, and kind of a newbie with the whole ADA process. So I'm learning here as much as the audience is.
Karen Batson:So listeners, we invited Jack which is something we haven't done on the podcast before, but gave him the subject matter knew nothing about it. And he's going to ask our guests questions as a new person on the subject. So give you a kind of new perspective on some sides of things. All right. So I think before really getting into the conversation, we should probably define the interactive process. For those who don't know about it, which one of you would like to start us off with that?
Annie Jantz:I'll start and then Melissa, if you want to jump in and add to the information, but the interactive process really just means a meeting or a grouping together of the employer and employee. So you know, the ability to have a conversation to work through a process, there's nothing prescribed necessarily, there isn't a process that says here are the you know, 10 things you need to go through. And it's very specific, there is guidance that's provided by the EEOC, and to I guess better help the employers understand what they should do, how to keep those conversations moving, you know that they should be really analyzing the essential functions of the employee's job and consult with the employee. So they do really talk about it. But it's not something that's specific. But I'd like to hear from Melissa as well, since I know she deals with us on a daily basis.
Melissa Michuda:Yeah, I mean, everything you said is correct. The few things I'm going to add is that it is sometimes a very casual, non formal process. It is that discussion between the employer and the employee about potential accommodation, or really, like I need that that employee has, and then they're now letting their employer know, hey, I need assistance with this issue because of a disabling condition, or, you know, I don't do really well with lots of noise in the background, or I'm having an issue really understanding the directions that are being provided to me. So there's no magic language, really, when an employee is beginning that process. I mean, they they're not going to come out most likely with the ADA or EEOC language is Yes, Mr. Employer and requiring an accommodation under the ADA, it's probably going to be a very general conversation that takes place between both of them, but it is somewhat of that that signal for that employer to really engage more with that employee to find out what might be going on.
Karen Batson:And I think it's important to point out, like we say, conversation between multiple conversations, it could be multiple people involved. It's a kind of a whole, and that's where the process word comes in. Right? My Am I interpreting that correctly?
Annie Jantz:Yeah. Because it is very fluid with that employee and the employer and it's really just working together. And it's not necessarily that the interactive process is just the conversation. And so one of the things that I wanted to point out as we start to dig in a little bit more or to some of the questions is, you know, the JAN or the Job Accommodation Network, which is a great resource for employers, it's free, they can go out of there's a wealth of information on ADA just on every topic. But they did take some of those guidelines that the EEOC put out. And then they said, here are some tips to help you with the interactive process if you wanted to walk through that. And that's where you get down to like six specific steps that you can work through. And it's all part of that process. And it's recognizing the accommodation, gathering information, exploring your options for accommodations, choosing what accommodation works, then implementing and then monitoring the accommodation. So they really spelled it out in a little bit more detail. But again, that is, you know, more tips that you you can utilize to help you stay compliant and get to the information you need.
Karen Batson:All right, so let's get into some some questions. How does an employer know when to start the interactive process?
Melissa Michuda:When it becomes the point where either it's very apparent and clear that that individual may be struggling with a certain job task or portion of their job, or when the individual comes up and says, Hey, I'm really having a difficult time doing XYZ, whatever set job tasks that it may be, it's not always a situation, that's going to be clear, because there are a lot of conditions that are not visible to the eye. So it may take as we just discussed, it, maybe a few conversations in order to really get at the heart of the request. But I would say truly, if when that individual is struggling, if they haven't brought it up, if an employer can ask them, if they need assistance with something, most of the time it is driven by the employee, when they notify their employer or their manager or their direct supervisor that, that they're just really having difficulty completing some part of their job.
Annie Jantz:I just wanted to add one additional comment on the you know, kind of recognizing when there's an accommodation need, that, you know, the employee, and I know, Melissa had mentioned this earlier, too, they may not use specific language, so and a lot of people may not even really understand the ADA, or what applies to them. You know what that means? I mean, I think most of us probably wouldn't, unless you're working in that. And so it's really important that managers and supervisors that are dealing with their employees every day, understand what to look for, you know, an employee just coming to them and saying, Hey, I'm really having a hard time getting to work every day, or I'm really struggling to be able to see my monitor, you know, something to that effect could start that process. And so it's just being able to recognize that maybe there's a need and having that open door policy, so employees can come and talk about it. But it's definitely, it can be very gray, because you're not necessarily going to have a very clean cut, where they're just coming up and saying, I need accommodation under the ADA. And I have this restriction that's, you know, blah, blah, blah, you know, whatever that looks like. I think it's so that training is very important.
Karen Batson:I have a kind of off the cuff question. And it might be a silly question. Do you think that the title interactive process is the right title for this? Because a lot of it feels like it's a mindset shift, you know, yeah, versus a process that makes it feel technical. So just curious, if you've thought about that before how you answer that question.
Annie Jantz:I think it's a good question. That's interesting. I don't I don't know that I've thought about that. But I'm not sure that it really explains what needs to happen. And it is a lot of dialogue. But it sounds like you're sitting down and you're just having all of this interaction. And that is some of it. But you don't even always need that, like the the EEOC even says not every situation may even require this entire process. Because if something is very clear, very, you know, evident, you can just move forward with your accommodation. Or you might have a situation where I can just give a monitor to whoever needs one or a chair if you need one. Because if it doesn't matter, I'll just provide you one. So you don't need to go through all of these steps. So it's almost like it's more of a, you know, an entire view of that employee and an accommodation, the workplace. And here's a lot of different things you need to do. So interactive, it is kind of that but I think it trips up a lot of people just by the the name of it, and what does that really mean?
Melissa Michuda:I agree, I think it's scarier for employers when they hear the interactive process. Yeah, versus just how Annie explained that. If there's a visible disability, or there's someone like for example, with a wheelchair, you know, that there's obviously going to be some alterations that may be needed for the workspace. So that conversation isn't going to have to go into several different directions. It's not going to be something that's going to be very difficult to figure out and provide for an individual. I've never really thought of the title of the process before but that is a great question. But I think it is it It is very concerning to employers to have that interactive process as the title because they also feel that just in my everyday workings and dealing with several employers, they don't want to ask the wrong question. They don't want to step over a line that maybe they shouldn't they don't want to ask for too much information. So now, do we ask for information at all? So I think it, it really can be intimidating.
Annie Jantz:Yeah I agree completely.
Karen Batson:That kind of leads into the next question, which is probably equally as hard. When we look at I'll use air quotes process, who's in charge? Who owns the process? Part who owns implementing it who's responsible? Might be a bigger question than I thought it was when I wrote this question down for you all.
Annie Jantz:Yeah, I think it's, it's a good question. Because I think it's kind of a two parter to write like the actual owning of the process, it's the employer, they have to have a process in place, they need to have something that employees can go through. And to get this accommodation, they have to have something in place that helps them and that there's some consistency for all employees. So they have a way to get to the accommodation. But both parties are really responsible, the employee also has to engage. So it's not just the employer trying to set something up and the employee is, you know, kind of saying, Oh, no, I don't know, just do something right, the employee has to be at the table to, and they have to be willing to work with the employer, they have to be willing to engage, explore other accommodations, if maybe one they've recommended isn't necessarily going to work in the organization. So both parties are responsible to get to that end goal. But the employer is responsible to have an avenue at the worksite or their within their organization that the employee can actually request and get an accommodation.
Karen Batson:And is there is there documentation that comes with that, why there should be a process that it should be recorded. And...
Annie Jantz:Yeah, and that is, again, in part of the interactive process. Part of that is documentation, right, you have to have that documentation. And it's there to protect both the employer and the employee, you want to make sure you're showing good faith as an employer, that you're going through a process, that you're talking to the employee that you're looking for an accommodation, you want to have that that information documented in the event that anything happens and the employee, you know, if there's a complaint filed, you know, or employees are saying somebody was treated differently than another mean, you want to have that documentation. So that is very important. Just as important as having a documented process to say, here's where you go, if you have an accommodation request, here's how you do it, and then make sure everybody knows about that, like, what is that process?
Melissa Michuda:be a process that is consistent across the board for all employees, you know, there is no, there's no favoritism when it comes to the ADEA. So you want to make sure that the processes that you have in place are accessible to everyone who needs that accommodation, and that things are progressing kind of in the same manner from start to finish for each of those requests.
Karen Batson:Now, earlier, you talked through the six suggested steps that are out there for the interactive process. Is there a particular step that we see as more challenging than the others or one we get most questions about? That kind of really sticks out?
Annie Jantz:That's a good question, Melissa, what do you think you're dealing with this all the time?
Melissa Michuda:That is a great question. I would say where we get the most questions is in regards to gathering that documentation or the or the medical piece of the accommodation request. It's an important piece, because we need to know the restrictions and limitations that that individual has, we need to know, like the frequency and duration of those restrictions, we need to really understand what's going on with that individual and how it's transferring over to the essential functions of the job. The important pieces are that you know, when documentation is requested, because something may not be clear or evident, is making sure you're requesting the appropriate information, which really is documentation that relates specifically to the accommodation request at hand. It's not an entire medical file, it's not years of treatment with each provider, it is truly just the scope of how do those restrictions and limitations prevent someone from doing those essential functions of the job? And where can we work in and accommodation in order to make sure that they can continue to do that job.
Annie Jantz:What do you think, Melissa? I'm just curious, because I agree I I think that's probably one of the most challenging either have employers who want too much or they don't want anything? It's kind of on both sides. What about that recognizing the accommodation, like do you do you ever hear about that or get questions about it because I just I think about being In the frontline supervisor or manager, and if you don't really understand any of this, like it may be difficult to spot that
Melissa Michuda:I agree. And I know that we've sat with, you know, individual customers and have done some some training however, really what what we're seeing on our side, and again, every every employer out there may may handle their process a bit differently, but more times than not the employee is, the one driving that process, when it comes to like our accommodation services product. So really, we get a lot of the requests from the employees themselves. So we may, at the end of the day, need to maybe provide some education when it hits the vocational consultant realm, just on the process, and why this truly may be a valid request. But I think it really, it's probably dependent upon the processes that those specific employers have in place already, and how robust they are.
Annie Jantz:Yeah, that makes sense.
Karen Batson:So curious, are there organizations out there that are probably in some form, following an interactive process, if not partially, and then kind of a follow up to that, if they're doing it partially, is that still beneficial?
Annie Jantz:Yeah, I'm sure there are employers that are handling a form of the interactive process without even realizing they're doing it. Because just the sheer nature of talking with employees on a daily basis, if you're managing people, you know, and depending on how large your organization is, you maybe you have HR, or you know, a team of people that are interacting also with employees. So I am pretty sure that that's happening, they may not realize that you could have managers or supervisors that are talking with their employees, and the employees, like, hey, I need to another break, because, you know, maybe I'm a diabetic, I needed to check my blood, and then I need to go somewhere to do that, or I'm, I have a back condition, I need a chair. And they might just say, oh, yeah, that's no problem, let's go ahead and do that just I'll get you a chair, take another break, whatever that that is, it's needed without realizing that they are actually making accommodations and, and having some form of the interactive process, more informal, but still doing it, which is still good, because they're, they're doing something for that employee. It may not be consistent, though, if you have some managers who are more flexible, and maybe others that aren't quite as flexible, or not sure how to handle those requests. So that's where you would run into some difficulty. Or you could have request and this goes to that second part of your question, they may come in and talk to somebody and say, Hey, I need help with something like, you know, a ship change, or, you know, again, some equipment, and then the person receiving that information, whether it's their supervisor or manager doesn't really know exactly what to do with it. And so maybe it's dropped. So they have some of the conversation, they don't really, you know, follow through all the way with an accommodation or trying to figure that out. And that's where you run into some issues as well, would be partially taken care of, but not completely.
Karen Batson:So why is this an important process for organizations, employers to be aware of? How does it benefit them?
Melissa Michuda:My gut instinct? And my first answer would be it's, well, legal obligation, probably most. The biggest one, the biggest one, because they do want to make sure that they are putting forth that good faith effort in looking at the situations that arise and the requests that come to them, and making sure that they're following through with the process and do document it. Some situations are going to require some sort of accommodation, because they meet that definition of disability under the ADA and ADAAA, some may not fall into necessarily the disability realm, per se. However, depending upon the request, there still might be state or local laws out there or other avenues that have certain protections, for example, like that the pregnancy laws, breastfeeding, religious accommodations, so other laws that do have importance and take play, it's just there needs to be that really fine line and understanding what goes into each of those accommodations, and what those obligations are for, for each of those entities that kind of oversee them. But usually, the legal outcomes are the ones that are probably most important and concerning to a lot of employers.
Annie Jantz:Yeah, I agree. And the other side of that, too, is I really think it benefits both the employer and the employee, you know, the employer, it goes a long way in building trust with their employees, right, if they're having these conversations, they're open to looking at accommodations, making them feel, you know, the employee feel comfortable coming forward and saying I have a disability or I need some assistance. So I think that goes a long way with, you know, retaining employees, maybe even bringing in new employees to your organization. You know, having an environment that is a little bit more open to with disabilities in the workplace, it helps employees feel supported. So I think that it's, it kind of does two things, you know, you build that, that great environment, as an employer within your organization, and the employees feel more loyal, they feel supported. And you can retain some really valuable employees at that point. So I think it's beneficial all the way around, even outside of the legal, which is definitely the biggest piece.
Karen Batson:Well, now we're going to challenge you with some questions from Jack. Jack, do you want to take over?
Jack Fitzgerald:Yeah, for sure. So. Yeah, for my first question, I was just wondering, like at the start of the interactive process, say the employee initially declines the assistance that they may possibly need, and say later on, they actually do decide they want that assistance, are they still able to get that or is there like a timeframe that they need to follow at first?
Annie Jantz:I think it's a great question.
Melissa Michuda:It is a great question. So yes, if an employee declines in accommodation initially, but then realizes maybe down the line that they do need it, they absolutely can, at that point, when they realize that there is a need, they can go ahead and request for that accommodation. Again, there is really no timeframes that are set for an employee to request an accommodation, you know, they just have to make sure that they are starting that conversation with their employer,
Annie Jantz:Right? Yeah, very different than, you know, for everyone who's familiar with FMLA, where there's a lot of guidelines and timeframes, and you know, certain forms and all of these rules that everyone has to follow the same as not true under the ADA. So they don't have prescribed forms and timeframes. But you're supposed to respond as quickly as possible to the employee's request.
Karen Batson:We talked a lot about like a manager observing the need, and then that could trigger the accommodation process to taking Jack's question where maybe it was recognized and declined for whatever reason, two months later, if the manager still noticing it, do they approach it again, like from going back to like the manager not knowing what they can and cannot do? What kind of dilemma does that create, if they still see it as a need? Or some new element added to it to make it even a different type of need? That question makes sense?
Annie Jantz:It does. And I mean, that could be tricky. I suppose, you know, if the employee has declined any assistance and said, they don't need it, and I suppose if nothing's changed, it's really on the employee. If there is something that's changed in this situation, and it appears to be worse, I suppose it warrants a conversation. But though, you know, I think it's going to be each individual case that that is tricky. And I don't know, Melissa, if you have other
Melissa Michuda:Um, I do believe it does probably depend thoughts on that? upon the individual and the request. We've seen, you know, a few different examples of that, where maybe the employer recognized a need for an employee and the employee was, you know, starting to engage in the process, and then decided, you know, what, I really don't need assistance. But then came back a few months later and said, Okay, I do need something. But now, because of my situation, I now need assistance with, you know, an ergonomic chair or a desk and possible intermittent leave because of my illness. So it is a good question. I do think it really depends upon the individual and and really what's going on with them at the time.
Annie Jantz:Yeah, agreed.
Jack Fitzgerald:And then for my next question, I was just wondering, when it comes to putting in ADA requests, are there any types of limitations that employers cannot accommodate? Where they're allowed to say no? Or do they need to accommodate any request that comes their way?
Annie Jantz:So employers, they don't have to accommodate just any request that comes their way. So that's definitely not the point or the intent of the ADA. So we, you know, when an employee requests something, if the employer looks at it and says, This is going to be really hard, I don't think we could even do this in our organization. For whatever reason, that's not the end of the conversation, they need to continue working through the process, which means looking at other accommodations, let's see what else is out there. So it's, it's something that the employer and the employee then again, need to agree on. And they need to both agree that this will work. So the employer can't also implement an accommodation that the employee says this isn't going to work for me like it has to be both parties saying, Yes, this is ideal, this will work. And the employee should be given some preference, you know, if there's an accommodation that will work, I mean, they're the ones who know best what's going to, to help them so the employer definitely has an obligation to work through that they don't have to just accept, you know, the first accommodation that maybe is mentioned by the that employee, but if they do go back and say they find nothing, no accommodation at all, the employee, maybe they recommend one but the employee says it won't work, the employer is then declining to accommodate they have to prove an undue hardship on their their organization, which means that it would be you know, maybe way too costly for them to implement or it'd be detrimental to their business in some way. And they have to have that documented. So if you they ever have to go to court, they have to prove they went through good faith efforts. But they had this undue hardship, and this is what it means. And so that's something the employer really has to pay attention to. So that they have all of that documented. If that's the case.
Jack Fitzgerald:Gotcha. Yeah, I was actually gonna follow up with just asking if there's any, like, legal requirements on the employers and like, anything that you need to do to prove like it's not a request that they can accommodate?
Annie Jantz:Yeah. And it seems like, you know, one of the most important things is that good faith effort that you're going through and really trying to find an accommodation for that person. But then yes, like, if it's because really, if it's your, let's say, for example, you're just telling somebody, I'm not going to get you a chair, and a chair is a few hundred dollars. I mean, maybe that's really not a good reason not to do an accommodation, right? That that would not pose an undue hardship, but building a whole new elevator or something like that, that that might be something that the employer can't afford to do. So it's something they have to consider and with their legal team as well.
Karen Batson:I assume again, kind of going back to our earlier part of the conversation, documenting what your process is consistently in the company is a good way to prove that you made that good faith effort.
Annie Jantz:Yes, absolutely. And then doing the same thing for every employee, you don't want to have one employee, you said, No, we're not going to do this and another employee that has the same request, and then you're saying, yes, we'll do this for you. So yeah, having the same process, everybody goes through that same evaluation, documenting what that is, and then also that, that accommodation, you know, what really is going to be an absolute No, that just won't work? And why really having those, you know, that outlined?
Jack Fitzgerald:Gotcha. For my third question, it's kind of swinging back into what Karen was when Karen was discussing the six step approach for the interactive process. I know you guys mentioned step two is gathering the information at first, in your guys's opinion, is there a preferred method when it comes to gathering information, whether it's face to face or sending out like, say, electronic questionnaires, or like sending out surveys or anything along the lines of that?
Melissa Michuda:I think that's a great question, it could probably be handled in all of those manners. One of the most important things about that gathering the information, though, is just gathering the information that's necessary for that request, I can't I don't think I can stress that enough. Making sure you're understanding the information you're receiving. But just really keeping it to those limitations, that the request is related to whatever method I believe someone chooses all, again, use that same method, I think the documentation is important, because it shows your trail, it shows the good faith effort, it shows what's gone into the process of going through that interactive process and making those decisions. And depending upon what type of information you're looking for, medical information typically has to have some sort of signed release by in the employee in order for that information to actually be released to to an employer or a third party, depending upon how an employer is managing their their ADA process. So I think it really depends upon what type of information you're gathering as well.
Annie Jantz:Yeah, I agree. And a lot of employers have a form that they've created. So the employee has to complete a, you know, some kind of a document that says what they're requesting, and they have a section for their doctor to fill out, which is really limited and just says, you know, here's what your restrictions and limitations are, here's some accommodations that may work. And the employer may ask for that. And that may be all they need to move forward, just depending on the situation, I still think one of the most valuable places to get your information is from the employee themselves. So if they can have that conversation with the employee, and just find out what's going on, you know, what's worked for them in the past, or what they feel would work for them. Now. They're going to be a great source of that information. You know, for anyone who's working with them, the employer, you know, if they have, you know, somebody partnering and working through that process.
Jack Fitzgerald:So yeah, basically, like what I was getting from that as what like the face to face like they can go and talk to you about exactly what it is, but then also the fact like, if they have it on paper, it just makes it easier for documentation.
Annie Jantz:Yes.
Jack Fitzgerald:Gotcha. And then for my last question, is there any type of training that employers have to go through regarding the ADA process? And if so, I was just wondering if you could describe that a little bit?
Annie Jantz:There's no official training that's out there that an employer is required to go through but there is a lot of training available. JAN, we mentioned that earlier, the Job Accommodation Network, they actually have a lot of training that is provided. They have presentations that an employer can grab to train internal staff as well. The EEOC also provides some training and some you know, just information on the ADA. And it's a very important part of the whole ADA accommodation process, so that everybody understands what that means what the law requires. And so you know, employers may get their training various ways, there's different classes and organizations you can go through to get training and sign up. And that may be a requirement for individuals working in certain areas, like within HR or as an ADA coordinator. But for those frontline supervisor and manager roles, that is going to be dependent on the employer to really work through what that training looks like, Melissa, do you have anything else to add on training, because that is a big piece of it?
Melissa Michuda:That is a big piece of it. And I think especially the Job Accommodation network and the EEOC, they have a lot of resources available. But I think it's important to know that there's, there's training for both sides of trick, there's training for the employers and for the employees. There's a there's a lot of resources out there for both parties. So it's it's important for both parties to know what's within their rights, what the law stands for, what types of accommodations are out there. So I think it's really beneficial for all parties.
Annie Jantz:Agreed.
Jack Fitzgerald:Awesome. Yeah, that's my last question there.
Karen Batson:All right. Last question for you all, as we ended this conversation, what are you hoping people got from our chat about the interactive process? What do you hope they take away?
Annie Jantz:I'll go first, I guess on this one. What I hope that everyone took away from this is that it is a very individual process. While you can have a full process that you go through as an employer and walk through the steps, it is very individual to that person. There are a lot of disabilities in the workplace today. So it's, it's good to be aware of that and to make sure that your processes support that a lot of them are invisible. So you're not necessarily aware that somebody's dealing with a disability. And it's important to treat everyone as individuals walk through that look at the accommodations know that one person with one condition may not be the same as the second person with the exact same condition, they can still have some differences in what their their limitations may be. Absolutely.
Melissa Michuda:And just to add to that, just to let employers know, it's not so scary, and it's not so intimidating, and that they're probably already doing the process. They just don't realize it, maybe it's just not labeled, formally, but most likely the steps that they're already taking fall into that interactive process.
Karen Batson:All right, Jack, I'm gonna put you on the spot. As someone who's just learned about the interactive process and listened through this conversation, what's your biggest takeaway or learning from our chat?
Jack Fitzgerald:Yeah, I was actually just thinking about that. I don't mean to kind of repeat what Annie said, it's more of just kind of piggybacking off of that, as someone who's like, not too, like super familiar with it. After having this conversation. It's just like, important to know, like, it's a prominent thing throughout the workforce, like, there's going to be a lot of people who are going to need this type of assistance. And also, just at the end of the day, it's like, yes, they might need the assistance. But that doesn't take away the fact that they're still like a vital employee to the work and like they can get the job done at the end of the day, which I think is the most important thing.
Annie Jantz:Yes, I agree that well said that's, that's very true.
Karen Batson:Perfect place to end. And well, thank you guys for joining. I always appreciate our chats. Thanks
Melissa Michuda:Thanks for having us.
Annie Jantz:Yeah, it was great.
Jack Fitzgerald:Thank you guys.
Karen Batson:Thank you all for listening today. And of course, a special thank you to our guests. We hope you enjoy today's episode, we have some resources on the interactive process. I'm actually going to link to our guide in our show notes, so definitely check that out. I'll also include links to some of the resources we mentioned throughout the episode. We love to hear back from you what you think of the podcast series or a particular episode. You can do that by reaching out to your Lincoln benefits professional and telling them sharing an episode or following us on Apple Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Disclosures:The information contained in this podcast is for general use and is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney or your human resource professional. Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation and its affiliates. Affiliates are separately responsible for their own financial and contractual obligations.