Definitions for "Essential functions"
An employee's fundamental duties outlined in the official position description or defined by the supervisor. An employee who must be absent from work to receive medical treatment for a serious health condition is considered to be unable to perform the essential functions of the position during the absence for treatment.
are one or more of the core responsibilities of a position. For example: a receptionist who cannot speak, cannot perform one of the core responsibilities of his position, and is therefore defined as "disabled," even if the condition is temporary. However, if the same receptionist could not move heavy furniture, he would not be disabled, because moving heavy furniture is not an essential function of this position.
The fundamental job duties of a position