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Human Resources

Accommodation Requests

Human Resources > Accommodation Requests

Workplace Accommodations for Staff/Faculty
 

Reasonable Employment Accommodations for Faculty and Staff Members

A reasonable accommodation is assistance or changes to a position or workplace that will enable an employee (or applicant) to do their job despite having a disability. Under the ADA, the university is required to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship to the employer. An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.

Qualified employees are those who hold the necessary degrees, skills, and experience for the job; and who can perform the essential functions of their position with or without an accommodation.

Individuals seeking reasonable accommodations should make their request to Human Resources and are encouraged to submit a Reasonable Accommodation Request Form. 

Procedure:

  1. Complete Section II of the Request for Accommodation Form and have your medical provider complete Section III.
  2. Sign the Authorization form Release of Medical Information.
  3. Submit the completed Request for Accommodation form to Susan D'Amato in Human Resources. Human Resources will schedule a meeting with you and begin the interactive process.

Interactive Process:

  1. Employee requests an Accommodation and provides supporting medical documentation to Human Resources.
  2. Benefits Team engages the employee and discusses the process and accommodation requested.
  3. Benefits Team contacts the supervisor to discuss the requested accommodation (disability is not disclosed to supervisor).
    • Essential functions of job are reviewed with the supervisor.
    • Discussion of whether requested accommodation is reasonable.
    • If the requested accommodation is not reasonable, identifies alternative accommodation(s).
  4. Human Resources reviews all information and communicates with the employee and supervisor.

Reasonable accommodations may also be available for needs based on religion. Religious accommodations will be processed through the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX (CRTIX) . To request religious accommodations, please email CivilRights.Title IX@umb.edu, or call (617) 287- 4818.