Under the Equal Treatment Act, the employer is obliged by law to take appropriate measures in the specific case, to allow the disabled person to gain access to employment, participate in working life and have the chance to get a promotion or training course, unless such measures result in disproportionate expenses for the employer. The identification of disproportionately high expenses will also take into account the employer’s financial and other costs, the size of the institution or company, and the possibility of being publicly funded or funding from other sources.
It is taken into account how much money is required for the adjustment relative to the size of the company, turnover, etc. Making adjustments must not put the company in financial difficulties or jeopardise the welfare of other employees.
The employer does not have to worry if a disabled person has special conditions at work compared to other employees, as this is not considered discriminatory. Where a worker with special needs is provided with special equipment or an access route is established, such activities will not be considered to be discriminatory with respect to other employees of the company.
A good partner for job adjustment is the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund (Eesti Töötukassa), which has the knowledge and measures to adjust jobs.
If you did not find an answer to your concern, you may contact the Estonian Commissioner for Gender Equality and Equal Treatment in a free format by sending an email to avaldus@volinik.ee. When contacting the Commissioner, the identity of the person shall not be disclosed and, upon request, anonymity shall be guaranteed. You can also contact both the labour dispute committee and the Chancellor of Justice for conciliation procedure.
