Must an Israeli employer provide reasonable accommodations for an employee with a disability?

An adjustment is anything that removes the barrier without altering the essential requirements of the job. Israeli practice has covered accessible entrances and bathrooms, screen reading software, an adapted workstation, a modified shift pattern, permission to work partly from home, and additional rest breaks. The unreasonable burden defence is narrow and the employer carries it, so a bare assertion that the change would be expensive fails without figures behind it. State grants exist to fund workplace adjustments, and an employer that never applied for them will struggle to argue the cost was prohibitive. Employers with more than 100 workers carry an additional duty of appropriate representation and must appoint a designated officer responsible for the subject.

Foreign nationals working in Israel are protected on the same terms as Israeli citizens, because protective labour legislation applies by reference to the place of work rather than to nationality or visa category. Two practical points matter for anyone making a request. Put it in writing and describe the barrier and the proposed adjustment rather than the medical diagnosis, since the employer is entitled to know what is needed and not to a complete medical file. Keep the correspondence, because Labour Court cases usually turn on whether the employer engaged with the request at all. Our guide to employment law in Israel for foreign companies and expats covers the wider anti-discrimination framework.

From the full guide: Employment Law in Israel for Foreign Companies and Expats

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