In accordance with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), San Mateo County Community College District will engage in
the interactive process with qualified employees with disabilities to determine if
they can perform the essential functions of their jobs with or without reasonable
accommodations.
The interactive process is a discussion between the employee and the district or college
to determine reasonable accommodations. This process may include the employee's equity
representative, supervisor, or other relevant parties. The district/college ultimately
determines if an accommodation is reasonable.
Reasonable Accommodation for Employees with Disabilities Process
What are reasonable accommodations?
For existing employees, reasonable accommodations may include any of the following:
- Sick leave
- Unpaid additional leave
- 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 the position
- Modifications or adjustments that enable an employee with a disability to enjoy equal
benefits and privileges of employment as are enjoyed by other similarly situated employees
without disabilities
- Leave of absence
- Part-time or modified work schedules
- Assistance in the performance of an essential job function
- Modifying equipment or devices
- Providing qualified readers or interpreters
What are unreasonable accommodations?
Examples of unreasonable accommodations include:
- Promoting an employee to a position for which they are not qualified
- Lowering quality or quantity standards
- Providing personal use items like glasses and hearing aids
- Creating a new position for an employee
What is a qualified employee?
The ADA and FEHA define a qualified employee as a person who:
- Satisfies the requisite skill, experience, education, and other job-related requirements
of their current job (or job to which they are applying)
- Can perform the essential job functions (not including the marginal job functions),
with or without reasonable accommodation
Interactive Process Video: