Frequently Asked Questions

  • Job applicants and current employees of Emory University and Emory affiliate organizations, including:
    • Emory National Primate Research Center
    • The Carter Center
    • Task Force for Global Health
    • Council for the Humanities
    • American Academy of ReligionAssociation for Clinical Pastoral Care
    • Associated Colleges of the South
    • The Credit Union
    • Emory Medical Care Foundation
  • Emory University faculty members
  • Emory University residents and postdoctoral fellows
  • Emory University undergraduate and graduate student workers
  • Emory University temporary employees
  • Emory University volunteer workers

NOTE:

The Emory Healthcare's Leave & Accommodation Team (LAT) serves Emory Healthcare employees seeking disability-related (ADA) accommodations.

Emory Healthcare employees are instructed to direct workplace accommodation requests (new or extension) to: ehcada@emoryhealthcare.org

Emory Healthcare employees are instructed to direct parking accommodation requests (new or extension) to ehcparkme@emoryhealthcare.org

The assigned EHC LAT Nurse Case Manager will be responsible for managing all accommodation-related inquiries moving forward.

In general, 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. Under the ADA, employers are required to provide “reasonable” accommodations for employees with disabilities. Therefore, you can request any accommodation that is considered “reasonable.”

The following may be considered ‘reasonable’ accommodations:
  • Modified work schedules or break schedules
  • Acquiring or modifying equipment
  • Modified flexible work arrangements or remote work
  • Modifying tests or training materials
  • Modifying applicability of employer-written policies
  • Providing qualified interpreters or real-time captioning services
  • Job restructuring to remove marginal functions
  • Making existing facilities accessible
The following are not considered forms of reasonable accommodation and therefore not required under the ADA:
  • Removing or eliminating an essential function from a job
  • Lowering production standards
  • Providing personal use items such as a prosthetic limb, a wheelchair, eyeglasses, hearing aids, or similar devices if they are also needed off the job
To explore workplace accommodations further, please visit the Job Accommodation Network.

DAS takes privacy very seriously. Disability disclosure is a legally protected choice. When requesting an accommodation, an employee only needs to disclose their disability and submit medical documentation to DAS – not any other entity within Emory. Any disability-related information disclosed to or submitted to DAS remains only with DAS and does not become part of the employee’s personnel file. DAS does not disclose the nature of an employee’s disability to members of the employing department or human resources during the accommodation request process.

Yes. You can later add supporting documentation by logging into your DAS record here.

Navigation Assistance: (Accommodation > Documents > Add New)

1. Employee submits an Employee Accomodation Request Form with supporting documentation.

2. Employee participates in a virtual intake meeting with DAS team member.

3. DAS sends a formal notification of the accommodation request to the decision-makers.

4. DAS participates in a meeting with decision-makers to discuss the accommodation request(s) and determine the outcome.

5. DAS summarizes the outcome for the employee and offers to have a debrief meeting, if desired.

  • If indicated, DAS revisits discussion with decision-makers to propose alternative accommodations and determine outcome.

6. DAS prepares an Employee Accommodation Agreement to document approved accommodation and distributes for the employee’s records.

No. The role of DAS is not to make decisions regarding workplace accommodations. Final accommodation decisions are made by the employee’s department/division leadership in consultation with Human Resources/Employee Relations. The role of DAS is to facilitate the interactive process and advise the department/division based on information received from the employee (and the employee’s provider) regarding their limitations and the guidance provided by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

An employee does not have a right to the specific accommodation requested, despite their healthcare provider’s recommendations. Rather, the employee has the right to make a voluntary request for accommodations in cooperation with their healthcare provider, and the employee has the right to go through the interactive process for consideration of their request. The employee's request and their healthcare provider's recommendations are considered. However, decisions are made based on a review of the essential functions of the job and compatibility with the accommodation requested. If multiple accommodations could be effective for the employee, the employing department has a right to approve the option that best aligns with meeting business needs in lieu of the employee's requested accommodation.

Every accommodation discussion is individual-specific, because the interplay between a person’s disability-related limitations and their job-related barriers is different. An accommodation is considered ‘reasonable’ if the employee can perform all essential functions of their job with the accommodation in place while not resulting in undue hardship to the employer. Therefore, during an accommodation discussion, DAS aims to gather information about the essential functions of the employee’s job and the extent to which the employee would have the opportunity to continue to perform those functions with the requested accommodation in place, or another effective alternative. Additionally, DAS gathers information on any significant hardship that may be incurred by providing the requested accommodation to allow all parties to analyze its merit in the decision-making process.

An employee’s job performance cannot be considered when determining if an accommodation is reasonable, nor can performance-related contingencies be included in an accommodation agreement. It is also important to note that the ADA does not obligate employers to disregard or change performance requirements, essential job duties, or conduct standards to accommodate an employee with a disability.

Emory University does not have a centralized budget for accommodations. Generally, the employing department is responsible for any costs associated with implementing a reasonable accommodation. Applicants and employees are not responsible for the cost of accommodations. If an employing department has concerns about the budgetary impact of the expense of an accommodation, the matter can be escalated to senior department leadership or human resources for resolution.

Employees with Disabilities at Emory Network (EDEN)

EDEN advances the full engagement of employees impacted by disability at Emory by advocating for inclusive policies and necessary resources, promoting awareness, and providing supportive programming to enhance Emory’s commitment to “creating an environment of work, teaching, living and learning that enables all persons to strive toward their highest potential.”

Emory Faculty Staff Assistance Program (FSAP)

Offers a variety of programs, services, and resources to promote emotional, behavioral, and workplace health. FSAP services are available to all benefits-eligible faculty, staff, physicians, and their benefits-eligible family members (starting at age 11).

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Eligible employees may take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in a rolling 12-month period for specified family and medical reasons.

Occupational Health Services (OHS)

Comprises a team of medical and health professionals dedicated to creating a safe and healthy workplace by offering health promotion, preventive services, occupational surveillance, and management of work-related injuries or exposures.

Emory Fire Safety

Fire prevention involves being alert to potential hazards and taking the proper precautions. If you are in need of an individualized evacuation plan due to a disability, please notify DAS, so that we can work with Emory Fire Safety to develop a plan.

Emory Emergency Medical Service (EEMS)

A volunteer EMS organization, operated by students, with oversight from Emory’s Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response. If you are in need of an individualized emergency medical plan of action due to a severe allergy or other serious health condition, please notify DAS, so that we can work with EEMS to develop a plan.