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Legal Information: California

Workplace Protections

Laws current as of November 7, 2024

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)