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Content Last Revised: 07/22/2005
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CFR  

Code of Federal Regulations Pertaining to ESA

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Title 41  

Public Contracts and Property Management

 

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Chapter 60  

Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Equal Employment Opportunity, Department of Labor

 

 

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Part 60-741  

Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination Obligations of Contractors and Subcontractors Regarding Individuals With Disabilities

 

 

 

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Subpart A  

Preliminary Matters, Equal Opportunity Clause


41 CFR 60-741.2 - Definitions.

  • Section Number: 60-741.2
  • Section Name: Definitions.

    (a) Act means the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Pub. L. 93-112 (29 
U.S.C 706 and 793), as amended by sec. 111, Pub. L. 93-516; sec. 
103(d)(2)(B), Pub. L. 99-506; sec. 9, Pub. L. 100-259; sec. 512, Pub. L. 
101-336 ; and secs. 102 and 505, Pub. L. 102-569.
    (b) Equal opportunity clause means the contract provisions set forth 
in Sec. 60-741.5, ``Equal opportunity clause.''
    (c) Secretary means the Secretary of Labor, United States Department 
of Labor, or his or her designee.
    (d) Deputy Assistant Secretary means the Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Federal Contract Compliance of the United States Department of 
Labor, or his or her designee.
    (e) Government means the Government of the United States of America.
    (f) United States, as used herein, shall include the several States, 
the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, and Wake Island.
    (g) Recruiting and training agency means any person who refers 
workers to any contractor, or who provides or supervises apprenticeship 
or training for employment by any contractor.
    (h) Contract means any Government contract or subcontract.
    (i) Government contract means any agreement or modification thereof 
between any contracting agency and any person for the purchase, sale or 
use of personal property or nonpersonal services (including 
construction). The term Government contract does not include agreements 
in which the parties stand in the relationship of employer and employee, 
and federally assisted contracts.
    (1) Modification means any alteration in the terms and conditions of 
a contract, including supplemental agreements, amendments and 
extensions.
    (2) Contracting agency means any department, agency, establishment 
or instrumentality of the United States, including any wholly owned 
Government corporation, which enters into contracts.
    (3) Person, as used in paragraphs (i) and (l) of this section, means 
any natural person, corporation, partnership or joint venture, 
unincorporated association, State or local government, and any agency, 
instrumentality, or subdivision of such a government.
    (4) Nonpersonal services, as used in paragraphs (i) and (l) of this 
section, includes, but is not limited to, the following: Utility, 
construction, transportation, research, insurance, and fund depository.
    (5) Construction, as used in paragraphs (i) and (l) of this section, 
means the construction, rehabilitation, alteration, conversion, 
extension, demolition, or repair of buildings, highways, or other 
changes or improvements to real property, including facilities providing 
utility services. The term also includes the supervision, inspection, 
and other on-site functions incidental to the actual construction.
    (6) Personal property, as used in paragraphs (i) and (l) of this 
section, includes supplies and contracts for the use of real property 
(such as lease arrangements), unless the contract for the use of real 
property itself constitutes real property (such as easements).
    (j) Contractor means, unless otherwise indicated, a prime contractor 
or subcontractor holding a contract in excess of $10,000.
    (k) Prime contractor means any person holding a contract in excess 
of $10,000, and, for the purposes of subpart D of this part, ``General 
Enforcement and Complaint Procedures,'' includes any person who has held 
a contract subject to the act.
    (l) Subcontract means any agreement or arrangement between a 
contractor and any person (in which the parties do not stand in the 
relationship of an employer and an employee):
    (1) For the purchase, sale or use of personal property or 
nonpersonal services (including construction) which, in whole or in 
part, is necessary to the performance of any one or more contracts; or
    (2) Under which any portion of the contractor's obligation under any 
one or more contracts is performed, undertaken, or assumed.
    (m) Subcontractor means any person holding a subcontract in excess 
of $10,000 and, for the purposes of subpart D of this part, ``General 
Enforcement and Complaint Procedures,'' any person who has held a 
subcontract subject to the act.
    (n)(1) Individual with a disability means any person who:
    (i) Has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits 
one or more of such person's major life activities;
    (ii) Has a record of such an impairment; or
    (iii) Is regarded as having such an impairment.
    (2) See Sec. 60-741.3 for exceptions to the definition in paragraph 
(n)(1) of this section.
    (o) Physical or mental impairment means:
    (1) Any physiological disorder, or condition, cosmetic 
disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following 
body systems: neurological, musculoskeletal, special sense organs, 
respiratory (including speech organs), cardiovascular, reproductive, 
digestive, genito-urinary, hemic and lymphatic, skin, and endocrine; or
    (2) Any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental 
retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and 
specific learning disabilities.
    (p) Major life activities means functions such as caring for 
oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, 
breathing, learning, and working.
    (q) Substantially limits--(1) The term substantially limits means:
    (i) Unable to perform a major life activity that the average person 
in the general population can perform; \1\ or
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    \1\ People have a range of abilities with regard to many major life 
activities such as walking, lifting, and bending, and a range of such 
abilities may be considered average. Thus, the term ``average'' person 
in the general population does not indicate a need to determine a 
precise average ability, but rather reflects that a range of abilities 
may be considered average.
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    (ii) Significantly restricted as to the condition, manner or 
duration under which an individual can perform a particular major life 
activity as compared to the condition, manner, or duration under which 
the average person in the general population can perform that same major 
life activity.
    (2) The following factors should be considered in determining 
whether an individual is substantially limited in a major life activity:
    (i) The nature and severity of the impairment;
    (ii) The duration or expected duration of the impairment; and
    (iii) The permanent or long term impact, or the expected permanent 
or long term impact of or resulting from the impairment.
    (3) With respect to the major life activity of working--
    (i) The term substantially limits means significantly restricted in 
the ability to perform either a class of jobs or a broad range of jobs 
in various classes as compared to the average person having comparable 
training, skills, and abilities. The inability to perform a single, 
particular job does not constitute a substantial limitation in the major 
life activity of working.
    (ii) In addition to the factors listed in paragraph (q)(2) of this 
section, the following factors may be considered in determining whether 
an individual is substantially limited in the major life activity of 
working:
    (A) The geographic area to which the individual has reasonable 
access;
    (B) The job from which the individual has been disqualified because 
of an impairment, and the number and types of jobs utilizing similar 
training, knowledge, skills or abilities, within that geographic area, 
from which the individual is also disqualified because of the impairment 
(class of jobs); and/or
    (C) The job from which the individual has been disqualified because 
of an impairment, and the number and types of
other jobs not utilizing similar training, knowledge, skills or 
abilities, within that geographic area, from which the individual is 
also disqualified because of the impairment (broad range of jobs in 
various classes).
    (r) Has a record of such impairment means has a history of, or has 
been misclassified as having, a mental or physical impairment that 
substantially limits one or more major life activities.
    (s) Is regarded as having such an impairment means:
    (1) Has a physical or mental impairment that does not substantially 
limit major life activities but is treated by the contractor as 
constituting such limitation;
    (2) Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits 
major life activities only as a result of the attitudes of others toward 
such impairment; or
    (3) Has none of the impairments defined in paragraph (o)(1) or (2) 
of this section, but is treated by the contractor as having a 
substantially limiting impairment.
    (t) Qualified individual with a disability means an individual with 
a disability who satisfies the requisite skill, experience, education 
and other job-related requirements of the employment position such 
individual holds or desires, and who, with or without reasonable 
accommodation, can perform the essential functions of such position. 
(See Sec. 60-741.3 for exceptions to this definition.)
    (u) Essential functions--(1) In general. The term essential 
functions means fundamental job duties of the employment position the 
individual with a disability holds or desires. The term essential 
functions does not include the marginal functions of the position.
    (2) A job function may be considered essential for any of several 
reasons, including but not limited to the following:
    (i) The function may be essential because the reason the position 
exists is to perform that function;
    (ii) The function may be essential because of the limited number of 
employees available among whom the performance of that job function can 
be distributed; and/or
    (iii) The function may be highly specialized so that the incumbent 
in the position is hired for his or her expertise or ability to perform 
the particular function.
    (3) Evidence of whether a particular function is essential includes, 
but is not limited to:
    (i) The contractor's judgment as to which functions are essential;
    (ii) Written job descriptions prepared before advertising or 
interviewing applicants for the job;
    (iii) The amount of time spent on the job performing the function;
    (iv) The consequences of not requiring the incumbent to perform the 
function;
    (v) The terms of a collective bargaining agreement;
    (vi) The work experience of past incumbents in the job; and/or
    (vii) The current work experience of incumbents in similar jobs.
    (v) Reasonable accommodation--(1) The term reasonable accommodation 
means:
    (i) Modifications or adjustments to a job application process that 
enable a qualified applicant with a disability to be considered for the 
position such applicant desires; \2\ or
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    \2\ A contractor's duty to provide a reasonable accommodation with 
respect to applicants with disabilities is not limited to those who 
ultimately demonstrate that they are qualified to perform the job in 
issue. Applicants with disabilities must be provided a reasonable 
accommodation with respect to the application process if they are 
qualified with respect to that process (e.g., if they present themselves 
at the correct location and time to fill out an application).
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    (ii) Modifications or adjustments to the work environment, or to the 
manner or circumstances under which the position held or desired is 
customarily performed, that enable a qualified individual with a 
disability to perform the essential functions of that position; or
    (iii) Modifications or adjustments that enable the contractor's 
employee with a disability to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of 
employment as are enjoyed by the contractor's other similarly situated 
employees without disabilities.
    (2) Reasonable accommodation may include but is not limited to:
    (i) Making existing facilities used by employees readily accessible 
to and usable by individuals with disabilities; and
    (ii) Job restructuring; part-time or modified work schedules; 
reassignment to a vacant position; acquisition or modifications of 
equipment or devices; appropriate adjustment or modifications of 
examinations, training materials, or policies; the provision of 
qualified readers or interpreters; and other similar accommodations for 
individuals with disabilities.
    (3) To determine the appropriate reasonable accommodation it may be 
necessary for the contractor to initiate an informal, interactive 
process with the qualified individual with a disability in need of the 
accommodation.\3\ This process should identify the precise limitations 
resulting from the disability and potential reasonable accommodations 
that could overcome those limitations. (Appendix A of this part provides 
guidance on a contractor's duty to provide reasonable accommodation.)
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    \3\ Contractors must engage in such an interactive process with an 
individual with disabilities whether or not a reasonable accommodation 
ultimately is identified. Contractors must engage in the interactive 
process because, until they have done so, they may be unable to 
determine whether a reasonable accommodation exists that will result in 
the person being qualified.
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    (w) Undue hardship--(1) In general. Undue hardship means, with 
respect to the provision of an accommodation, significant difficulty or 
expense incurred by the contractor, when considered in light of the 
factors set forth in paragraph (w)(2) of this section.
    (2) Factors to be considered. In determining whether an 
accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the contractor, factors 
to be considered include:
    (i) The nature and net cost of the accommodation needed, taking into 
consideration the availability of tax credits and deductions, and/or 
outside funding;
    (ii) The overall financial resources of the facility or facilities 
involved in the provision of the reasonable accommodation, the number of 
persons employed at such facility, and the effect on expenses and 
resources;
    (iii) The overall financial resources of the contractor, the overall 
size of the business of the contractor with respect to the number of its 
employees, and the number, type and location of its facilities;
    (iv) The type of operation or operations of the contractor, 
including the composition, structure and functions of the work force of 
such contractor, and the geographic separateness and administrative or 
fiscal relationship of the facility or facilities in question to the 
contractor; and
    (v) The impact of the accommodation upon the operation of the 
facility, including the impact on the ability of other employees to 
perform their duties and the impact on the facility's ability to conduct 
business.
    (x) Qualification standards means the personal and professional 
attributes including the skill, experience, education, physical, 
medical, safety and other requirements established by the contractor as 
requirements which an individual must meet in order to be eligible for 
the position held or desired.
    (y) Direct threat means a significant risk of substantial harm to 
the health or safety of the individual or others that cannot be 
eliminated or reduced by reasonable accommodation. The determination 
that an individual with a disability poses a ``direct threat'' shall be 
based on an individualized assessment of the individual's present 
ability to perform safely the essential functions of the job. This 
assessment shall be based on a reasonable medical judgment that relies 
on the most current medical knowledge and/or on the best available 
objective evidence. In determining whether an individual would pose a 
direct threat, the factors to be considered include:
    (1) The duration of the risk;
    (2) The nature and severity of the potential harm;
    (3) The likelihood that the potential harm will occur; and
    (4) The imminence of the potential harm.
    (z)  Compliance evaluation means any one or combination of actions 
OFCCP may take to examine a Federal contractor's or subcontractor's 
compliance with one or more of the requirements of Section 503 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973.



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