Disability Accommodation - Human Resources

Requesting Accommodations

Applicants

An applicant who requires an accommodation during the application process should contact the Human Resources Office at 906-227-2330.

Employees

The employee notifies Human Resources. Human Resources will typically discuss the process with the employee and provide an Accommodation Request Form. The completed Accommodation Request Form must be sent to the Human Resources to initiate the process.

The Reasonable Accommodation Process

After Human Resources receives and reviews the completed Accommodation Request Form from the employee, the office will contact the employee to determine the appropriate course of action. If the review of the employee's information and documentation indicates that a reasonable accommodation is needed, Human Resources will consult with the employee and the employee's department head to establish an accommodation that will enable the employee to perform the essential functions of the job.

The employee will then be informed of the accommodation(s) that can be provided.

Confidentiality

Medical information provided through the reasonable accommodation process is kept confidential.

Any written information regarding an employee's medical condition, including the Accommodation Request Form, is kept separate from the employee's regular personnel file. In compliance with applicable laws and regulations, all documents pertaining to an accommodation request are placed in a confidential file that is kept in Human Resources.

An employee is not required to reveal the diagnosis of his/her condition or the details of the medical treatment being received to his/her immediate supervisor or to co-workers.  However, some employees choose to share this kind of information with others.  Employees who voluntarily share medical information with co-workers should consider that it may be passed on to others.  The information should still be treated as confidential. 

Supervisors/department heads must not inform other employees that an accommodation is being provided because of a co-worker's medical condition or disability.

Complaints

If an employee wishes to make a complaint about how the accommodation request was handled, or about perceived discrimination based on their medical condition and/or request for accommodation, the steps in the Discrimination/Complaint Procedure should be followed.