Work-related Accommodations
ADA Accommodations
In 1973, the United States passed sections 501 and 503 of the Rehabilitation act as a subset to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
One of the key aspects of this law is to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities (short or long-term). Accommodations make it possible for a person with a disability to perform their job, but they must not create an "undue hardship" for the employer, in other words cause too much difficulty or expense to implement. At UNC, 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.
Request Accommodation
If you need an accommodation to complete the duties of your job because of a medical condition, you should submit a request with HR. Your physician will need to complete the Request for Accommodation - Medial Certification form.
Family and Medical Leave
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. FMLA is designed to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons.
If you need to take time off work (more than 3 consecutive days, or regularly recurring time off) to care for yourself or a family member, you should request FMLA leave. You can start the FMLA leave request process by contacting HR - human.resources@unco.edu.
Disability Categories
If an employee is unable to perform assigned job duties, even with the aid of reasonable accommodations, the employee may need to apply for short/long term disability. Please contact HR for additional information on short/long term disability at human.resource@unco.edu.
