Work well. Be well.

INFORMATION FOR COVID-19 RELATED REQUEST FOR TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION OR WORKPLACE ADJUSTMENT

During this COVID-19 pandemic, employees who are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 may request reasonable accommodations or workplace adjustments. This includes employees who are older adults and are at increased risk due to age and/or who are at increased risk due to underlying medical conditions. For the most up to date information about individuals at increased risk for severe illness, please refer to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

Human Resources (HR) staff provide guidance and assistance to identify reasonable accommodations that could reduce COVID-19 related risks to employees with underlying medical conditions. Our team facilitates interactive meetings and dialogue with the employee and the department. This is referred to as “the interactive process.” As part of the interactive process, the employee may be asked to provide documentation from their health care provider that confirms that they have a medical condition that places them at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 (without identifying the specific medical condition).

We strive to be creative and flexible in arriving at a reasonable accommodation. Depending on the circumstances, some examples of workplace accommodations may include: providing personal protective equipment (PPE); enhancing physical distancing or modifying the work environment; modifying work schedules; modifying non-essential job functions; or allowing remote work.

If an employee already has the necessary documentation from their health care provider, the employee can submit it when they request an accommodation. Additionally, it would be helpful if the employee completes and submits the Temporary Accommodation or Workplace Adjustment Request Form to eec@uci.edu.

In addition to the above, the University also engages in dialogue with employees who are older adults because the CDC also identifies this group as being at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Although not qualified for the reasonable accommodation process for disability accommodation solely due to age, employees who are seeking a workplace adjustment for this reason should also complete and submit the Temporary Accommodation or Workplace Adjustment Request Form.

Employees who are at high risk for serious illness from COVID-19 due to a medical condition and/or their age may also be eligible for certain leaves offered by the University.

For questions, please contact our Employee Experience Center (EEC) at eec@uci.edu or 949-824-0500. Your inquiry will be directed to the appropriate HR team member for response.