Disability and Reasonable Accommodation Policy - Section I. Policy Statement
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Adopted: August 26, 2008
Read next: Section II. Individuals Covered by the FEHA
I. Policy Statement
The County of Sonoma (County) is committed to providing equal employment access to all qualified applicants and employees, and a workplace free of discrimination on the basis of medical condition, physical disability or mental disability.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibit employment discrimination based on a person’s disability, perceived disability or history of disability. The FEHA is a California state law enforced by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). The ADA is a federal law enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In some cases the FEHA is more protective than the ADA.
The ADA and FEHA require employers to provide reasonable accommodation to individuals who have a known medical condition, physical disability or mental disability where accommodation is needed to (1) enable an individual to be considered for a job, (2) enable an individual to perform the essential functions of his or her job, or (3) enable an individual to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment. The FEHA also requires employers to engage in a timely, good faith interactive process with an employee or applicant who requests reasonable accommodation.
This Disability and Reasonable Accommodation Policy (Policy) identifies the County’s plan to meet the requirements of the ADA and FEHA, and any other related state or federal laws. This policy provides a framework to discuss disability-related concerns, and provides for an interactive process to discuss accommodation. This Policy also replaces the Disability Guidelines (originated in 2003 and revised in 2006).
This Policy is administered under the direction of Human Resources Department by the County’s Equal Employment Opportunity/American’s With Disabilities Act Program Coordinator (EEO Manager). This Policy applies to all employment practices such as: recruitment, firing, hiring, training, job assignments, promotions, pay, benefits, layoff, leave, and all other employment- related activities.