Workplace Accommodation Services

An accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done that enables an individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities. When employees with disabilities face barriers in the workplace, providing reasonable accommodations may assist in removing those barriers.

• Whether or not an accommodation is reasonable will vary depending on the position the employee holds, the way their disability affects their ability to do their job, and the environment that they work in.
• Reasonable accommodations for employees are determined based on the anticipated effectiveness with some consideration given to cost versus benefit.

An accommodation is not considered reasonable if it is not effective, removes essential job functions, creates an undue hardship to the University, or poses a direct threat to the employee or others.

• Lowering standards of conduct or performance expectations is not considered a reasonable accommodation as employees with disabilities are held to the same job requirements as employees without disabilities or accommodations.

Employees with limitations related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions may be provided reasonable accommodations under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). Information regarding the process under PWFA is outlined further below.

Any employee who is considered disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), regardless of position or tenure, may qualify for reasonable accommodations. To be eligible for reasonable accommodation under the ADA, an employee must have an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, or a record of such an impairment.

• Disabilities cover a broad spectrum under the law. When an employee is eligible and needs assistance to perform their essential job functions, we accommodate them whether or not their disabilities are obvious to others.
• Not all employees with disabilities will require the same accommodations and some employees with disabilities may not require any workplace accommodations.

Each accommodation request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the employee’s situation necessitates an accommodation to perform the essential functions of their position.

If you are an employee with a disability that is affecting your ability to perform your job, you may request a reasonable accommodation by informing your manager of your need and/or completing the workplace accommodation request form. Unless documentation is already on file with HRS, you will also be asked to provide written certification from your healthcare provider to support your request. 

• Managers who receive accommodation requests should inform the Leave & Accommodations Coordinator in HRS to initiate the interactive process.
• For employees with obvious impairments, medical certification is not required to determine eligibility; however, healthcare provider recommendations may be beneficial in the interactive process.

Student employees who require a workplace accommodation to perform the functions of their job with the university should follow the same process as other UNI employees.

 An interactive process simply means that employers and employees with disabilities work together to determine effective accommodations. When an employee requests a change at work because of a medical impairment, UNI has an obligation to engage in an open dialogue to determine whether an accommodation is appropriate.  

Once a request for accommodations has been recognized by the manager and/or HRS, the following steps will take place.

1. The Leave & Accommodations Coordinator will gather information and request medical documentation where appropriate to understand what barriers the employee is experiencing.
2. Options for reasonable accommodations will be explored by communicating with the employee, manager, and possible outside resources.
3. Once an accommodation is selected that would be reasonable and effective, the employee and manager will be notified via email, memo, and/or letter.
   • If necessary, a trial period may be considered to be sure the accommodation will be effective.
4. Employees and/or managers should communicate any issues with the accommodation after it has been implemented and monitor for effectiveness. 

If an accommodation is not available or reasonable, the employee will be notified in writing and alternative options may be discussed.

Please note: Employees are not required to accept an accommodation; however, if an employee needs an accommodation to perform the essential functions of their job and refuses to accept an effective accommodation, they may no longer be qualified to remain in the job.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) aims to protect the rights of qualified individuals in the workforce and went into effect on June 27, 2023. The PWFA requires employers to engage in the interactive process to identify reasonable accommodations that will enable an employee with known limitations related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions to remain at work.

Several key points regarding the PWFA accommodation process are outlined as follows:

• All employees with known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions are considered eligible for reasonable accommodations. The known limitations do not have to rise to the level of disability.
• Employees in need of PWFA accommodations must inform their manager or HRS that they have a limitation and need an adjustment at work due to the limitation.
• HRS will only request documentation when reasonable to determine whether to grant the accommodation or the limitation and need for accommodation is not obvious.
• Nursing parents who require a location and break time to express milk for one year after the child's birth do not need to request formal accommodations for this purpose but should discuss the need for lactation breaks with their manager.

Examples of reasonable accommodation requests that should be processed quickly without medical documentation and a limited interactive process include:

1. Additional, longer, or more flexible breaks to drink water, eat, rest, or use the restroom, as needed;
2. Modifying equipment, devices, or workstations, such as providing a stool to sit on, or a way to do work while standing;
3. Absences for healthcare appointments related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions;
4. Changing food or drink policies to allow for a water bottle or food, if needed.

Similar to ADA reasonable accommodations, PWFA accommodation requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine approval.

HRS maintains confidentiality of medical information and such records shall not be released except as required by law.

• An eligible employee's restrictions, limitations and recommended accommodations may be discussed with necessary supervisory staff and is only shared as a matter of business necessity to ensure the accommodation is implemented.
• In cases where disclosing the disability is necessary to implement the accommodation, the employee will be consulted regarding the limited information that may need to be provided to supervisory staff.

If you feel your rights under the Rehabilitation Act, ADAA, Title VII, or the PWFA have been violated, you may contact the Office of Civil Rights Compliance and/or utilize the procedures outlined in the Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct Policy. The Assistant to the President for Civil Rights Compliance is the designated ADA Compliance Officer. You may also review other relevant university policies 13.03 Equal Opportunity & Non-Discrimination Statement and 13.19 Retaliation and Misconduct Reporting

Students with disabilities in need of academic and campus experience accommodations, as well as University Housing & Dining accommodations should connect with Student Accessibility Services. The process may also be initiated by submitting an accessibility request.

• Accessibility Resources at UNI
• PWFA Reasonable Steps
• UNI Single Occupancy Restrooms
• Disabled Parking at UNI
• Stress, Mental Health, Addiction, and Grief Services
• National Alliance on Mental Illness

• Manager's Role in Workplace Accommodations
• UNI Policy 13.15 Campus Accessibility & Accommodations of Disabilities
• Summary of Employee Conduct and Performance Standards Under the ADA
• Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

1Q: What qualifies as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

1A: According to the Federal law, an individual with a disability is anyone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits or restricts conditions, manner or duration under which an average person can perform one or more major life activities.

2Q: What are essential job functions?

2A: Essential job functions are the duties an employee must be able to perform, with or without an accommodation. Employers determine which functions are essential and identify those in the written job description.

3Q: What should I do if I need to request a workplace accommodation due to disability limitations?

3A: You should inform your manager and/or complete the workplace accommodation request form in order to initiate the interactive process. You may also be asked to provide documentation to support your request.

4Q: What are some examples of reasonable workplace accommodations?

4A: Work Environment: office arrangements, ramps, handrails, lighting, ergonomic furniture, light versus sound alarms, modified workstations, air purifiers, parking.

Schedules/ Procedures: flexible work hours, work days, lunch hours/breaks, part-time hours, additional training, modified approach to task completion, change in communication methods.

5Q: Who is responsible for expenses associated with a workplace accommodation?

5A: In most cases, the expense for workplace accommodations is the responsibility of the employee's department. If costs are an issue, the manager should contact the HRS Leave & Accommodations Coordinator to determine options that might be available.

6Q: How do I request a PWFA accommodation?

6A: You should notify your manager or HRS that you need a change or adjustment due to a known limitation. This will trigger the interactive process to identify a reasonable accommodation for your situation.

7Q: What are some examples of reasonable accommodations under the PWFA?

7A: A number of accommodations that may address known limitations include: schedule changes, remote work, reserved parking, light duty, modifying equipment, modifying the work environment, job restructuring, frequent breaks, absences for medical appointments, etc. Each request will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

8Q: Do I need to provide documentation for pregnancy-related accommodations?

8A: Maybe. Employers may only request documentation if reasonable under the circumstances. When requested by HRS, documentation should confirm your physical or mental condition and that it is related to, affected by, or arises out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Documentation should also describe the change or adjustment at work that you need due to the limitation and the expected duration of the requested modification.

9Q: Does UNI allow employees with disabilities to use service animals in the workplace?

9A: Service animals are allowed on campus and may accompany an individual with a disability anywhere the general public is allowed as long as the animal is under control. Employees with disabilities who wish to bring their service animal to work should submit a workplace accommodation request to initiate the interactive process. HRS will communicate with the employee and manager to determine if the request to bring the service animal to the workplace is reasonable. 

10Q: One of my staff members has requested to bring their service dog to work but I'm concerned about their coworkers who might be allergic or have a fear of dogs. How do I handle this?

10A: Have a discussion with your staff member about how they would like to handle educating their coworkers that a dog will be present in the workplace. If a coworker indicates an allergy or phobia related to the service dog, you should reach out to HRS for guidance on how to accommodate that employee.