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DefinitionsAccommodation: Accommodation is an adaptation or adjustment made to enable aperson to perform the essential duties or requirements of a position. The requirement,qualification or factor must be reasonable and bonafide in the circumstances.Religion or Creed: Creed is interpreted to mean religious creed or religion. It is defined asa professed system and confession of faith, including both beliefs and observances orworship. A belief in a God or gods, or a single supreme being or deity is not a requisite.Religious Observance: Religious observance refers to commitments or obligations basedon a person’s religion or creed. This can include, but is not limited to, the celebration ofreligious holidays, requirements concerning attire, prohibitions, or observances related toparticular events, eg. death of a family member.Undue Hardship: Reasonable accommodation must be granted to allow Associates tofulfill religious obligations, unless to do so would create an undue hardship. Determiningwhether a particular means of accommodation is reasonable, or creates an unduehardship, requires an assessment of factors including, but not limited to:• cost - undue hardship exists if the financial costs, related to accommodation of theneeds of the individual would alter the essential nature or would substantially affectthe viability of the organization responsible for the accommodation;• operational impact and morale;• treatment of other kinds of requests;• ability to alter the work schedule._____________________________________________________________________________ResponsibilitySupervisors and Managers are responsible for ensuring that this policy and the legislatedrequirements of the Ontario Human Rights Code are complied with._____________________________________________________________________________Steps to requesting accommodation for religious observances1. An Associate who requires accommodation for religious observances must make arequest for that accommodation, in writing, to her/his manager. The request shouldindicate the nature of the accommodation, the particular circumstances andrequirements, and any suggestions or alternatives concerning how the observancecan be accommodated.2. Where time off is required, Associates should make requests for accommodationfar enough in advance of the date(s) when they require the time off, so as to allowtheir manager sufficient time to assess the request and make an appropriatedetermination. If the religious observance is a regular, recurring holiday, theAssociate should make the request as soon as the specific dates are known, eg.make a request for time off for holidays in a year at the beginning of every year.3. Managers must respond to requests within a reasonable time period, based onparticular circumstances.4. Managers will make every reasonable effort to provide accommodation asrequested by the Associate, unless to do so would create an undue hardship.Managers should contact the People Department and their Supervisor concerningrequests for accommodation of religious observances.5. When time off is granted, the following options should be considered in order tomeet GoodLife’s obligation to provide reasonable accommodation:• allow the Associate to make up the time;• adjust shift schedules;• allow the Associate to use vacation days;• provide a leave without pay.Confidential and Proprietary Information of Goodlife Fitness Clubs | V14 July 2009 13