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Requesting Accommodations Guide

for School of Medicine Employees and Managers

Introduction

Introduction

  • The goal of this guide is to provide simplified and clear guidance on how individuals with disabilities can navigate requesting and maintaining accommodations in their Stanford Medicine workplaces. 
  • The purpose of this effort is to demystify the accommodations process for employees and provide resources for consideration and community. 
  • Employees, managers, and HR share the responsibility of exploring accommodation ideas, navigating through the interactive process, and determining a way forward.
  • Every individual and every role is different. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires a highly individualized and thoughtful consideration of disability-related needs and job duties before approving or denying accommodations. School of Medicine Employee and Labor Relations (ELR) can facilitate with employees and their supervisors/managers throughout each step of this process.
  • If you need assistance using or understanding this document, including translation and/or accessibility, please contact the School of Medicine Employee Experience and Community Impact team at somhrgeeci@stanford.edu. 

Considerations: Before Making the Request

Important note: Employee is not required to share disability or diagnosis to ask for an accommodation, but they do need to share their restrictions. Ultimately, it is the employee’s responsibility to initiate an accommodation request process.

Employees

Consider what’s going on for you:

Where are you in understanding your disability? Is this new for you? 

Disability identity is a journey. You may be new to it. Here is an article that might help in learning more about how the idea of being disabled might fit into your sense of self. 

Disability Identity Among Diverse Learners and Employees at an Academic Medical Center. Jerome B, Fassiotto M, Altamirano J, Sutha K, Maldonado Y, Poullos P.
JAMA Network Open, 2022. (Link to article) 

How is disability intersecting with your work? 

  • Are you experiencing limitations or restrictions that interfere with completing your work duties? 
  • What type of support would be most helpful to you in this moment? (E.g., someone to listen versus someone to take action)
  • Are you ready to disclose your need for accommodations in a formal capacity?
  • If no or unsure, reach out to confidential offices or community spaces (listed in next slide).
  • If yes, decide where to begin the conversation. Options include: your manager/supervisor, local HR representative, and School of Medicine Employee & Labor Relations (ELR).

Managers

Educate yourself:

Even before a direct report comes to you for an accommodation, you can educate yourself about the process. Talk with your local HR representative or School of Medicine ELR for guidance on how you can be a supportive manager/supervisor.

Here is an article that explored how employees with disabilities experience the workplace of academic medicine: 

Disability Identity Among Diverse Learners and Employees at an Academic Medical Center. Jerome B, Fassiotto M, Altamirano J, Sutha K, Maldonado Y, Poullos P.
JAMA Network Open, 2022. (Link to article) 

Acknowledge how this impacts you as a manager: 

Accommodations necessitate adjustments to schedule, or modification of specific duties. There are many considerations throughout all steps of this process. 

Consider what’s going on for your direct report:

Your direct report may be new to having a disability and juggling multiple or ongoing appointments, referrals, and treatments. Or, your direct report may have experience asking for accommodations. Regardless, people often have concerns about disclosing their disability in the workplace due to stigma, bias, or discrimination.

Resources: Related to accommodations request

You or your direct report may wish to consult with community spaces and experts in the disability space (choose 1 or more that best fits – this is optional): 

Considerations: Beginning stages of request

Important note: Employee is not required to share disability or diagnosis to ask for an accommodation, but they do need to share their restrictions. Ultimately, it is the employee’s responsibility to initiate an accommodation request process.

Employees

Based on your conversation and information, decide on your next steps:

Are you ready to start your accommodations request?

  • If yes, go to the next section. Be ready to explain what the limitations and restrictions are to completing your assigned work duties rather than disclosing your disability.
  • If no, consult with more individuals/offices or take the time you need to feel comfortable asking for accommodations.

 

What support do you need along the way?

Managers

If you notice your direct report may need accommodations:

Ask: “How can I help you?”

  • It is important not to assume what the employee may or may not need to do their work.
  • It is important to ask questions and discuss options.
  • It is important to have a conversation with the employee and document it.

 

If your direct report seems unsure about requesting an accommodation in a formal capacity, you can share other resources they can use.

Making the Accommodations Request

Everyone’s situation is different, as all accommodations processes are individualized. Informal resolution and straightforward solutions might be available depending on the request.

Employees

1.

Notify: One of the following, whomever you feel most comfortable sharing with, to start the request.

  • Your manager/supervisor
  • Local HR representative and/or

Stanford School of Medicine ELR

2.

Engage: In meetings and conversations about your accommodations request.

  • Potential questions that may arise:
  • What can you expect throughout the process?
  • What are the current job duties and work restrictions?
  • Who can help you when you get stuck?
  • What documentation will be needed?

3.

Provide Requested Documentation:

  • Work with your personal care team for documentation.

Additional important considerations to remember:

  • Frame your request around what you need to do your job effectively.
  • You do not have to disclose your diagnosis to make the accommodations request. You do have to disclose the functional limitations that you experience.
  • Your doctor may disclose your diagnosis through documentation. This is shared with your local HR Representative and Stanford School of Medicine ELR.
  • The accommodations you request will be reviewed and potential alternative options may be explored. You will be offered reasonable modifications to the work environment that may be just as effective to fulfill your essential job duties.

Managers

1.

Notify your local HR representative.

2.

Engage: in meetings and conversations about your direct report’s accommodation request.

  • Potential questions that may arise:
  • What can you expect throughout the interactive process?
  • Who can help you understand your responsibilities?
  • What documentation will be necessary?

Employees’ documentation does not need to be shared with managers.

  • HR and/or Stanford School of Medicine ELR will let the employee know what documentation is needed.
  • Your direct report will work with their personal care team to obtain that documentation.
  • You may learn your direct report’s disability inadvertently. Do not consider that information when exploring possible accommodations.

 

Additional important considerations to remember:

  • The purpose of accommodations is to allow your direct report to do their job effectively.
  • Your direct report does not have to disclose their disability or diagnosis in the conversation with you to make an accommodations request. A doctor may disclose their disability within the documentation. This information is private and will not be shared with you.

Try Out the Accommodations & Seek Feedback

Employees

  • Try out the accommodations or reasonable modifications to your work environment, including any alternative options provided.
  • Accommodations can be adaptive and iterative in order to fit your needs. Notice and share what’s working and what isn’t working for you:
    • Check in and revisit with the person you’ve been working with on your request (e.g. your manager/supervisor, your local HR representative, or Stanford School of Medicine ELR)
    • Consider exploring alternative accommodations.
    • Remember that accommodations are a process and final determination is made by the employer.

Additional important considerations to remember:

  • View accommodations as a work in progress.
  • The more complex the accommodation is, the longer the process might take (including trying out alternative options).
  • Throughout the request, you can consult with others for support.
  • Expect back and forth exchanges as different groups work together to provide accommodations that fit your individual needs.
  • Accommodations should be mutually beneficial, ensuring that your direct report can effectively perform their essential job duties while also supporting the needs of the department.

Managers

  • Your direct report will try out the accommodations or reasonable modifications to their work environment, including any alternative options provided.
  • Accommodations can be adaptive and iterative in order to it your direct report’s needs. Invite them to share what’s working and what isn’t working for them:
    • Check in and revisit with Stanford School of Medicine ELR and your local HR representative.
    • Provide time to explore alternative accommodations.
    • Remember that accommodations are a process and final determination is made by the employer.

Additional important considerations to remember:

  • View accommodations as a work in progress.
  • The more complex the accommodation is, the longer the process might take (including trying out alternative options).
  • Throughout the request, your direct report can consult with others for support.
  • Expect back and forth exchanges as different groups work together to provide accommodations that fit your direct report’s needs.
  • Accommodations should be mutually beneficial, ensuring that your direct report can effectively perform their essential job duties while also supporting the needs of the department.
  • Work with HR to document each conversation about the accommodations.

Helpful Definitions

Disability

ADA definition: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability.

Note: Any health issue that intersects with work duties in such a way that you need some kind of adjustment or different approach might qualify. Examples of disabilities include and are not limited to: depression, lupus, back pain, low vision, stutter, carpal tunnel, concussion, etc.

Interactive Process

EEOC definition: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines the interactive process as a good-faith, back-and-forth exchange of information between employers and individuals requesting reasonable accommodations to determine effective solutions.

Note: This can include asking for, talking through, and trying out different adjustments/ways of working. It will include providing  documentation, considering alternatives, and giving feedback.

Reasonable Accommodation

DOJ definition: The Department of Justice (DOJ) defines a reasonable accommodation as a modification or adjustment to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done during the hiring process.

Note: These modifications enable an individual with a disability to have an equal opportunity not only to get a job, but to successfully perform their job tasks to the same extent as people without disabilities.

Acknowledgements

  • This guide was made through a collaboration between the Stanford School of Medicine Human Resources Group Employee & Labor Relations (ELR) team, the Stanford School of Medicine Human Resources Group Office of Employee Engagement and Community Impact (EECI), and the Office of Medical Student Affairs (OMSA). This guide is sponsored by the Stanford Medicine Alliance for Disability Inclusion and Equity (SMADIE).
  • For institutional policy, please reference to the Stanford University Admin Guide section 2.2.7, Requesting Workplace Accommodations For Employees With Disabilities.
  • Questions? Contact Stanford School of Medicine ELR for a consultation & additional support. The School of Medicine ELR team consults with individuals, departments and units to support employees and ensure appropriate accommodations are provided.
  • If you need assistance using or understanding this document, including translation and/or accessibility, please contact the School of Medicine Employee Experience and Community Impact team at somhrgeeci@stanford.edu.