In job analysis, what are essential duties?

• A. Tasks that are optional.
• B. Duties determined by the worker's preference.
• C. Duties determined by management slang.
• D. Tasks and responsibilities critical to the job that determine needed supports or modifications.

Answer: (D)

Essential duties are the tasks and responsibilities that are fundamental to the job’s purpose. They define what must be performed for the job to function as intended, and they guide what supports or accommodations might be needed for a worker to do those tasks. In other words, these are the duties critical to the role, and they help determine when and what kind of modifications are appropriate. The other options describe duties that aren’t central to the job—things that are optional, chosen by the worker, or based on informal jargon—so they don’t capture what makes a duty essential.