HOW TO: Request a reasonable accommodation - Supervisor

Summary: Determine reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities.

What you, the supervisor, should do How you should do it
1 Familiarize yourself with the applicable policy and Interactive Process Checklist
  1. Review the Interactive Process Checklist
  2. Review the policy for:
2 Begin the interactive process
  1. Identify what represents notice of a reasonable accommodation (can be made by employee, third party on behalf of employee, or a representative of the employee).
  2. Start completing the Interactive Process Checklist
  3. Identify the essential and non-essential functions of the job.

All steps of the interactive process must be documented.
3 Provide the employee with written notice of request for medical documentation
  1. Ask the employee for certified medical documentation that outlines functional limitations. See Reasonable Accommodation sample agreement.
4 Review certified medical documentation and research possible accommodations
  1. Determine whether the request is temporary or permanent.
  2. Find possible temporary or permanent work that complies with the certified medical documentation.

Note: The manager / supervisor should not contact the employee’s physician directly. If clarification is needed, ask the employee to contact their physician or the manager/supervisor should seek assistance from Disability Management Services.
5 Consult with employee and Disability and Rehabilitation Consultant, if needed
  1. Arrange an interactive process meeting with the employee to review and participate in identifying a reasonable accommodation.
  2. Review employee’s functional limitations and analyze the job requirements.
  3. Explore job modifications and/or alternate work that could be performed.
  4. Include the Disability & Rehabilitation Consultant, (949) 824-9756, if assistance is needed to identify solutions.
6 Implement reasonable accommodation and monitor its effectiveness
  1. Complete Reasonable Accommodation Agreement. see sample agreement.
  2. Review and sign Reasonable Accommodation Agreement with employee.
  3. Follow up with employee regularly to ensure that the accommodation is successful.
7 Involve the Disability and Rehabilitation Consultant
  1. Contact Disability & Rehabilitation Consultant, (949) 827-9756, if accommodation is unsuccessful.
  2. Arrange an interactive process meeting between the Disability & Rehabilitation Consultant and your employee at an agreed upon location.
  3. Identify what was not working previously with the employee.
  4. Participate in identifying a reasonable accommodation.
  5. Review and sign an amended Reasonable Accommodation Agreement with the employee. see sample agreement.

For more information refer to the Workers' Compensation and Disability Management menus.

Need an expert? If you have any questions, please contact the Workers' Compensation and Disability Management Unit, (949) 824-0500; Fax (949) 824-9299 or send email to wcdm@uci.edu.

Notice: University policies, procedures and applicable collective bargaining agreements shall supersede information in this document or elsewhere on this site.

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