Workplace Accommodations

UC Santa Barbara is committed to growing a diverse workforce. In doing so, we seek to provide reasonable accommodations, also called workplace accommodations, for any staff, faculty, academic, or student employee with disability-related limitations or restrictions.

The UCSB Workplace Accommodation Specialists help the employee and their supervisor explore possible reasonable accommodations using the interactive process. This is in compliance with UC Policy, Collective Bargaining Agreements, The Academic Personnel Manual, The Federal Americans with Disabilities Act, and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.

Questions for the Workplace Accommodations team? Please submit a ticket through HR ServiceNow.

HR ServiceNow

This is in compliance with UC Policy, Collective Bargaining Agreements, The Academic Personnel Manual, The Federal Americans with Disabilities Act, and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act

What Are Reasonable Accommodations?

A reasonable accommodation can include, but is not limited to:

Modified job duties
Modified work schedule
Providing assistive equipment
Modified work environment
Service or Support Animal

These accommodations can fall under two categories: temporary or permanent accommodations.

Temporary Accommodations

Temporary work accommodations allow injured or ill employees to continue healing while working by providing a temporary modified, or alternate work assignment usually up to 90 days and evaluated on a case by case basis.

Permanent Accommodations

Ongoing/permanent accommodations are provided for employees with disability related limitations lasting 6 months or longer to allow them to perform the essential functions of a job.

Service and Support Animals

A request for a Service or Support animal in employment is treated the same way as any other request for reasonable accommodation. For more information about Service and Support Animals in employment, please see the UCSB Service and Support Animal Policy. To request a Service or Support Animal in employment please see Process to Request Reasonable Accommodations.

How Do I Start the Request Process?

Process to Request Workplace Accommodations

An employee should notify their supervisor or Chair that they are requesting an accommodation (no diagnosis or confidential medical information should be shared).

Please submit a HR ServiceNow ticket to Workplace Accommodations. Once the supporting medical information has been received, a Workplace Accommodations Specialist will reach out to the employee and the supervisor to confirm the receipt of medical documentation and decide on workplace accommodation ideas.

Request for Reasonable Accommodation Medical Certification (pdf version). Email or fax completed form to workplaceaccommodations@hr.ucsb.edu or Fax: 805.893.8645.

Interactive Process

The interactive process involves ongoing communication between an employee with a disability and their supervisor in an effort to provide reasonable workplace accommodations. During the interactive process, all medical information will be kept confidential. We will only discuss your disability related limitations and restrictions as it relates to your job functions.

This process should include:

The employee, the supervisor, and workplace accommodations specialist, if needed
Direct & timely communication between a supervisor and an employee
Documentation of the discussion and the agreed upon accommodation(s)

If you are an applicant for employment requesting accommodation, please contact the Employment Unit.
If you are a student seeking academic accommodations, please contact Disabled Students Program.

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