Human Resources

Workplace Accommodations

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  

Request for Medical Accommodation

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:

  1. Satisfies the requisite skill, experience, education, and other job-related requirements of their current job (or job to which they are applying)
  2. Can perform the essential job functions (not including the marginal job functions), with or without reasonable accommodation

 

Interactive Process Video: