AI Hiring Tools May Discriminate Against Workers With Disabilities

Many companies in the cleaning industry are committed to diversity and strive to hire workers with disabilities. However, if companies use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assess job applicants, they may be inadvertently screening out potential employees with disabilities, Business Insurance reports.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) warns that AI systems often use an algorithmic-decision-making tool that rejects individuals with disabilities, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employers are responsible for following the ADA when they use AI tools, regardless if they apply the tools themselves or through software vendors.

To reduce the chances of screening out applicants with disabilities, the EEOC recommends that companies:

• Determine whether the tool algorithm disadvantages individuals with disabilities
• Ensure the tool’s user interface is accessible to as many individuals with disabilities as possible
• Present job advertising materials in alternate formats.

All AI hiring tools should indicate the availability of reasonable accommodations in the workplace, offer clear instructions for requesting reasonable accommodations, and provide all applicants and employees with as much information about the tool as possible.