Disability Management and Accommodations

The Disability Management department works to reduce the human and fiscal cost of workplace disability by providing the following services:

• Provides consultation to employees whose disability may impact their work
• Provides guidance and consultation on topics such as reasonable accommodation and the interactive process
• Serves as the conduit between the University and health care providers when work restrictions need clarification
• Provides consultation to management and HR business partners on all aspects of disability management related to UC Policies and Procedures, Federal and State leave laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, Fair Labor Standards Act compliance and reasonable accommodations, whether work-related or non-industrial.
• Utilizing an interactive dialogue in consulting with employee, management and other Human Resource units regarding workplace disability issues.

What is a Reasonable Accommodation?

The University shall attempt to make reasonable accommodations for all known disabilities of a qualified individual with a disability (QID) or any employee who has been injured on the job qualified injured worker (QIW). The decision to offer reasonable accommodation to a QID/QIW shall be made on a case-by-case basis after evaluation of the relevant facts.

Reasonable accommodation may include but are not limited to:

• making existing facilities used by employees readily accessible to QID/QIWs;
• job restructuring, i.e., modifying a job so that a person with a disability can perform the essential functions of the position through the elimination of non-essential elements of the job, re-delegation of assignments, exchanging assignments with other employees or redesigning procedures;
• initiating part-time or modified work schedules;
• acquiring or modifying equipment or devices;
• appropriately adjusting or modifying employment examinations, training materials or local practices;
• providing qualified readers or interpreters; or
• Re-assigning or referring a QID/QIW to an active vacant position.

How to request a Reasonable Accommodation (if time off is being requested, you must first contact the LOA Team first by emailing LOATeam@mednet.ucla.edu):

• Inform your supervisor of your need for an accommodation in one of the following ways:
1. In person
2. By email
3. By telephone
• Gather medical documentation from a licensed healthcare provider that defines your physical limitations
• Contact the Disability Management department via email stating your accommodation request and the duration of your need for accommodation. Attach medical documentation to the email: MCHRDM@mednet.ucla.edu.
• Participate in the interactive process in identifying a reasonable accommodation.

What is the Interactive Process?

Once a request for an accommodation is received, the employee and Disability Management will engage in an interactive process to determine what the individual needs and identify appropriate effective reasonable accommodation(s). The purpose of the interactive process is to determine what, if any, accommodation should be provided. This means that the individual requesting the accommodation must communicate with the appropriate persons throughout the entire process, but particularly where: the specific limitations or barriers are unclear; an effective accommodation is not obvious; the parties are considering different forms of reasonable accommodation; or the current accommodation is no longer effective and another effective accommodation must be identified.

Disability Management Resources

Reasonable Accommodation Policy - PPSM-81:
https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010420/PPSM-81

Bargaining Units and Contracts – refer to your CBA for additional information, if applicable
https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/index.html

UC Disability Benefits Guide:
https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/forms/pdf/your-guide-to-uc-disability-benefits-fact-sheet.pdf

Ergonomic assessments:
https://www.uclahealth.org/safety/ergonomics-services

Filing a Leave of Absence link:
https://www.uclahealth.org/hr/taking-a-leave-of-absence

Job Search / Talent Acquisition:
https://www.uclahealthcareers.org/ucla-health-careers-home/

Retirement Planning Resources / Retirement Administration Service Center (RASC):
https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/retirement-benefits/resources.html                                                                   

UCRP Retirement Plan (UCRP):
https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/retirement-benefits/ucrp/

UCLA Staff and Faculty Counseling Center – Employee Assistance Program:
https://mednet.uclahealth.org/u-news/ucla-staff-and-faculty-counseling-center-offers-employee-assistance-program/?utm_campaign=search