What are reasonable accommodations? How will an employer decide whether to grant one?
A reasonable accommodation is a change at your workplace that will help to keep you safe while you are at work. Some examples of reasonable accommodations include:
- a transfer;
- a reassignment;
- a change in work schedule;
- a change of work telephone;
- a different work station;
- installing a lock;
- help with documenting domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or another crime that happens at work;
- putting a safety procedure into effect;
- another adjustment to a job structure, workplace facility, or work requirement in response to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or another crime; or
- referral to a victim assistance organization.1
If you request a reasonable accommodation, your employer is required to participate in an interactive process with you within a reasonable timeframe to decide what reasonable accommodations would provide for your safety.2 Your employer must also consider any emergency circumstances or danger that you are facing when making a decision about reasonable accommodations, but your employer is not required to provide you with an accommodation that would place a significant difficulty or expense (undue hardship) on their business operations.3
1 Cal.Labor Code § 230(f)(2)
2 Cal.Labor Code § 230(f)(4)
3 Cal.Labor Code § 230(f)(5), (f)(6)