Reasonable Accommodations

A reasonable accommodation in California is a change to your job or workplace that lets you perform the essential functions of your position despite a physical or mental disability or serious medical condition. Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), employers with 5 or more employees must provide reasonable accommodations and must work with you in good faith to find one. When they refuse, stall, or retaliate, the law gives you the right to hold them accountable.

Labor Law PC represents employees only. From Santa Monica, we handle failure-to-accommodate cases for workers across Los Angeles, from nurses and warehouse workers to office staff and studio employees. Consultations are free, and we charge no fees until we win. This page covers what accommodations look like, how the interactive process is supposed to work, and what to do when your request is denied. For the broader picture, start with our disability and leave rights overview.

Examples of Reasonable Accommodations in California

Accommodations are as varied as jobs and conditions. Common examples California courts and the Civil Rights Department recognize include:

• Schedule changes: modified start times, part-time or reduced schedules, shift reassignment, or time off for medical appointments
• Leave of absence: unpaid medical leave beyond CFRA or FMLA entitlements, when it is likely to let you return to work
• Modified duties: temporarily removing marginal tasks, adjusting lifting requirements, or restructuring how work gets done
• Equipment and workspace changes: ergonomic chairs, sit-stand desks, screen readers, amplified phones, or relocating a workstation
• Remote or hybrid work: telework can be a reasonable accommodation where the job's essential functions allow it
• Reassignment: moving you to an open position you can perform when accommodation in your current role is not possible
• Policy modifications: relaxing attendance policies tied to your condition, or allowing a service animal
• Support for treatment: time off for chemotherapy, dialysis, physical therapy, or mental health care

Your employer does not have to give you the exact accommodation you request, eliminate essential job functions, or create a brand-new position. But it must provide an effective accommodation if one exists, and it cannot pick a token measure that does not actually address your limitations.

Signs Your Accommodation Rights Were Violated

• Your request was denied without any real discussion or explanation
• HR went silent for weeks or months after you submitted a doctor's note
• You were told the company has a "no light duty" or "100% healed" policy
• You were written up, demoted, or fired shortly after requesting an accommodation
• The company granted an accommodation, then took it away without any change in your condition
• You were pressured to resign or apply for disability benefits instead of being accommodated

The Interactive Process: What California Law Requires

FEHA does not just require accommodations. Government Code section 12940(n) separately requires employers to engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process: a genuine back-and-forth conversation to identify your limitations and explore accommodations that could work. In California, failing to engage in that process is its own violation, even apart from whether an accommodation was ultimately denied.

A few points workers should know:

• You do not need magic words. Asking for help because of a medical condition, or submitting a doctor's note with restrictions, is enough to trigger the employer's duty. The duty can even arise when the employer simply knows or observes that you need help.
• You only disclose what is needed. The employer can request documentation of your limitations, but it is not entitled to your diagnosis or complete medical records.
• The process is ongoing. If the first accommodation fails or your condition changes, the employer must revisit the conversation.
• Stalling counts. An employer that drags out the process until you exhaust your leave, quit, or get fired has not acted in good faith.

The undue hardship defense

An employer can lawfully refuse an accommodation only if it proves undue hardship: significant difficulty or expense in light of the employer's size, resources, and operations. That is a high bar, and it is the employer's burden to prove, not yours to disprove. A multi-million dollar Los Angeles company will have a hard time showing that an ergonomic chair, a schedule adjustment, or an unpaid leave extension is significantly difficult or expensive. Vague claims of inconvenience, morale concerns, or "we've never done that" do not qualify.

Deadlines

Failure-to-accommodate and interactive process claims are FEHA claims. Generally you have 3 years to file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), then 1 year to file suit after receiving a right-to-sue notice. Deadlines vary with the facts and the claims, so talk to a lawyer sooner rather than later.

What to Do if Your Accommodation Request Was Denied

1. Put it in writing. If your requests have been verbal, send a polite email summarizing what you asked for, when, and what you were told. Paper trails win cases.
2. Get medical support. A short note from your provider describing your work restrictions (not your diagnosis) makes the request hard to ignore.
3. Keep working the process. Respond to reasonable requests for information and propose alternatives. Courts look favorably on employees who stayed engaged while the employer stonewalled.
4. Save everything. Emails, denial letters, performance reviews before and after your request, and names of witnesses.
5. Call a lawyer before you resign or sign. Quitting or signing a severance agreement can affect your claims. A free consultation costs you nothing and protects your options.

If the denial cost you your health, your pay, or your job, you may be entitled to lost wages, emotional distress damages, and attorney's fees under FEHA. We can assess your case and handle the CRD filing for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can my employer ask for proof of my disability?

  Yes, within limits. It can ask for documentation confirming you have a condition that requires accommodation and describing your functional limitations. It cannot demand your full medical records or genetic information, and it must keep what you provide confidential.

• Is anxiety or depression enough to require an accommodation in California?

  It can be. FEHA covers mental disabilities that limit a major life activity, and California's standard is broader than federal law. Schedule changes, quieter workspaces, and leave for treatment are common mental health accommodations.

• Can I be fired for asking for an accommodation?

  Firing or disciplining you for requesting an accommodation is unlawful retaliation under FEHA, and it is a separate claim on top of the failure to accommodate. Retaliation shortly after a request is one of the strongest fact patterns we see.

• What if there is no way for me to do my current job?

  Your employer must consider reassigning you to an open position you are qualified for, and leave to recover can itself be a reasonable accommodation. Termination is supposed to be the last resort, not the first response.

• How much does a lawyer cost for an accommodation case?

  Nothing up front. Labor Law PC works on contingency: the consultation is free and we collect a fee only if we recover money for you.

Related Practice Areas

• Disability & Leave Rights - the full picture of California disability protections
• FMLA & CFRA Leave - job-protected medical leave and reinstatement rights
• Disability Discrimination - fired, demoted, or harassed because of your condition

Denied an Accommodation? Get a Free Case Review

Do not let an employer's "no" be the final word. Call (877) 775-2267 or contact Labor Law PC for a free, confidential consultation with a California reasonable accommodation lawyer. No fees until we win.