APPLICABILITY & PURPOSE

This Personnel Management Regulation (PMR) defines County of Marin policy and procedure on Reasonable Accommodation for employment.

CONTENTS

49.1 General
49.2 Reasonable Accommodation in the Hiring Process
49.3 Reasonable Accommodation in Employment
APPROVAL

49.1 General

The County of Marin will reasonably accommodate environmental illness, learning, physical, sensory or mental impairments that rise to the level of a disability. In general, it is the responsibility of the person with a disability to notify the County that a reasonable accommodation is needed.

49.2 Reasonable Accommodation in the Hiring Process

Upon request, reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified persons with disabilities. An accommodation request should be submitted with the employment application. Text telephones (TTY) are available for persons with communications disabilities. Persons with disabilities requesting a reasonable accommodation can expect the Human Resources Department to respond on a case-by-case basis.

49.3 Reasonable Accommodation in Employment

A. If an employee believes he or she is a qualified employee with a disability, he or she will complete an Employee Reasonable Accommodation Request Form (Attachment 1) describing their accommodation need, and submit the form to the Human Resources Department.

B. Once the need for reasonable accommodation arises either by the employee’s request or by the County’s knowledge of the employee’s disability, the County by and through the applicable department and Human Resources will engage in the following process:

1. Review the purpose and essential functions of the job.

2. Engage in an interactive dialogue with the employee with a disability to ascertain the precise job related limitations imposed by the employee’s disability and how those limitations would be overcome with a reasonable accommodation.

3. In consulting with the employee, identify the potential reasonable accommodations and assess the effectiveness each would have in enabling the employee to perform the essential functions of the position.

4. Consider the preference of the employee to be accommodated. Select and implement the reasonable accommodation most appropriate for the County in collaboration with the employee’s input.

C. Reasonable accommodations may include training, modification of equipment and devices, modifying examination, training or policies, granting leave, reassignment to a vacant position, modifying work schedules, making facilities accessible, or job restructuring.

D. The County Administrator will make a decision regarding what constitutes undue hardship and such decision will be final. Reasonable accommodation may not be made if it creates an undue hardship for the County of Marin.

APPROVAL

Effective Date: January 2005
Revisions No. : 0
Prepared By: Laura Armor

Approved: ss/President, Board of Supervisors