The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed these
reasonable accommodation procedures in compliance with Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance and consistent with the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) document "Procedures for Providing Reasonable
Accommodation for Individuals With Disabilities."
Contents
Policy on Reasonable Accommodation
Definition of Key Terms
Responsibility
Procedures for
Responding to Requests for Reasonable Accommodation
Determining Which Official
Will Respond to the Request
Time Frames for Processing
Requests and Providing Reasonable Accommodation
Responding to Requests for Reasonable Accommodation: The Interactive
Process
Written Requests for Recordkeeping Purposes
Requests for Medical Information
Confidentiality
Requirements Regarding Medical Information and the Reasonable Accommodation
Process
Provisions of Accommodation: Funding
Reassignment
Granting the Reasonable Accommodation Request
Reasonable Accommodations Agreement
Denial of the Reasonable Accommodation Request
Appeal of a Denial of Reasonable Accommodation: Reconsideration
Information Tracking and Reporting
Relation of Procedures to Statutory Claims
Distribution and Inquiries
Appendix A. Readers, Interpreters, and Other Personal Assistants
Appendix B. Selected Reasonable Accommodation Resources
It is the policy of AHRQ to provide equal opportunity to all qualified
individuals with disabilities (in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of
1973) and to fully comply with other legal and regulatory requirements to
ensure that all aspects of employment are made fully accessible to all
employees, and all aspects of the application process are fully accessible to
all applicants. No qualified employee with a disability may be denied the
benefits of a program, training, or activity conducted, sponsored, funded, or
promoted by AHRQ, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination. To this end,
reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals with
disabilities, unless doing so poses an undue hardship to the Agency.
To fulfill its commitment to ensure that individuals with disabilities enjoy
full access to equal employment opportunity, AHRQ provides reasonable
accommodation in the following areas:
- When an applicant with a disability needs an accommodation
in order to apply or be interviewed for a job.
- When an employee with a disability needs an accommodation in
order to perform the essential functions of the job or to gain access to
the workplace.
- When an employee with a disability needs an accommodation
to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment.
AHRQ employees may refer to the EEOC's "Enforcement
Guidance on Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship Under the Americans With
Disabilities Act" (available at http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/accommodation.html)
for additional information on the rights and responsibilities of applicants and
employees requesting reasonable accommodation, and the responsibilities of AHRQ
personnel involved in responding to those requests.
AHRQ may take steps, when
appropriate, beyond those required by the reasonable accommodation process in
this document or in the EEOC guidance.
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Definition of Key Terms
- Reasonable accommodation: Any
change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done
that would enable a qualified individual with a disability to enjoy equal
employment opportunities.
- Disability: Includes the following:
- A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits
one or more of an individual's major life activities. Examples of major
life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself,
walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, sitting,
standing, lifting, and working, as well as mental and emotional processes
such as thinking, concentrating, and interacting with others. This list
is constantly changing based on statutory changes and case law.
- A record of such an impairment.
- A perception as having such an impairment.
- Qualified individual with a disability: An
individual with a disability is qualified if he or she 1) satisfies the
requisite skills, experience, education, and other job related requirements of
the position and 2) can perform the essential functions of the position, with
or without reasonable accommodation.
- Essential functions: The job duties that
are so fundamental to a position that the job cannot be done without
performing them. A function can be essential if, among other things, the
position exists specifically to perform that function, there are a limited
number of other employees who could perform the function, or the function
is specialized and the individual is hired based on his or her ability to
perform it. Determination of essential functions must be done on a
case-by-case basis so that it reflects the job as actually performed, and
not simply the components of a generic position description.
- Reassignment: Reassignment is a form of
reasonable accommodation that is provided to employees who, because of a
disability, can no longer perform the essential functions of their current
position, even with reasonable accommodation. Reassignment is available
only to an existing employee who is qualified for the new position; it is
not available to new applicants. Reassignment is made only to existing
positions in HHS as a whole. An employee qualified for the position can be
reassigned to the job without competing for it.
- Undue hardship: If a specific type of
reasonable accommodation causes significant
difficulty or expense to the Agency, meaning HHS, AHRQ is not
required to provide that particular accommodation. Determination of undue
hardship is always made on a case-by-case basis, considering factors such
as the nature and cost of the reasonable accommodation needed and the
impact of the reasonable accommodation on the organization's operations.
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Responsibility
It is the responsibility of the Agency to provide reasonable accommodation
in accordance with the guidelines prescribed by the Americans With Disabilities
Act (ADA) and EEOC.
The responsibilities for each part of the reasonable accommodation are explained
in the following section of this document.
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Procedures for
Responding to Requests for Reasonable Accommodation
A request for reasonable accommodation is a statement that an individual
needs an adjustment or change at work, in the application process, or in a
benefit or privilege of employment for a reason related to a medical condition. The reasonable accommodation process begins as soon as the request for
the change or identification of a barrier is made, whether orally or in
writing.
A request does not have to use any special terms, such as "reasonable
accommodation," "disability," or "Rehabilitation Act." Individuals with a
disability may request a reasonable accommodation whenever they choose, even if
they have not previously disclosed the existence of a disability. Any AHRQ
employee or applicant may consult a member of the Reasonable Accommodation Team
or other designee for further information or assistance in connection
with requesting or processing a request for reasonable accommodation.
- Employees may request reasonable
accommodation orally or in writing from their supervisor,
another supervisor or manager in their immediate chain of command, their
Office Director, or a member of the Reasonable Accommodation Team or other
designee. Accommodation will be provided in recurring situations without
requiring a new request from the employee each time.
- Applicants may request reasonable
accommodation orally or in writing from any AHRQ employee with whom
they have contact in connection with the application process.
- Family members, health professionals, or other
representatives may request reasonable accommodation on behalf of
an employee or applicant. The request should be made to one of the same
persons to whom an employee or applicant would make the request. Whenever
possible, AHRQ staff will confirm the request with the person with the
disability.
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Determining Which Official
Will Respond to the Request
As the first step in processing a request for reasonable accommodation, the AHRQ
staff member who receives the request must determine who will be responsible
for handling and forwarding the request, if necessary. The person who
responds to the request for accommodation will be referred to as the
"decisionmaker." There are four possible decisionmakers: a Human
Resources Specialist (for applicants), an employee's supervisor, an employee's
Office Director or other official in that chain of command, or the appropriate
support official (i.e., Facilities, Information Technology). The staff member who
receives a request for accommodation should follow the instructions below to
determine which of these individuals should receive the request.
The request should be forwarded to the appropriate person as soon as possible, but no later than 5 business days.1
- Requests for
accommodation from applicants will be processed by a Specialist from the
Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Office of Equal
Employment Opportunity and Diversity Management (OEEODM). The Specialist acting as
decisionmaker should document and track all reasonable accommodation
requests and activities.
- Requests for
accommodation from employees will be processed by the immediate supervisor, unless the request is one that should be referred to an Office or Center
Director or a member of the OEEODM's Reasonable Accommodation Team, as
explained below.
- Certain requests
for accommodation will be referred to the Office Director or other
designee. These include requests involving personnel
actions (other than reassignment). In this case, the decisionmaker should
document and track all reasonable accommodation activities.
- Certain requests
for accommodation will be referred to a member of the FDA OEEODM
Reasonable Accommodation Team or other designee. This individual will respond to the
following requests and identify the appropriate decisionmaker to refer the
request to:
- Requests for adaptive
equipment, including information technology and communications equipment,
or specially designed furniture.
- Requests for a reader,
sign language interpreter, or other personal assistant to enable
employees to perform their job functions, when the accommodation cannot
be provided by current staff.
- Request for removal of architectural barriers, including
reconfigured work spaces.2
- Requests for
accessible parking will be handled through each
Office/Center's internal procedures. Information on these accommodations
shall be documented and included in the reports of all reasonable
accommodations.
- Requests for materials
in alternative formats (e.g., Braille) that cannot be provided by the
supervisor or Office/Center Director.
- Requests for reassignment
to another job, in coordination with the human resources
services provider.
- In addition, the Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or
other designee will be available, as needed, to provide assistance to
employees and decisionmakers in processing requests. At no time will the
Reasonable Accommodation Specialist be the decisionmaker for any
reasonable accommodation request.
- All decisionmakers, as well as the Reasonable
Accommodation Specialist, must have designated backups to continue
receiving and processing requests and providing reasonable accommodations
when the decisionmaker is unavailable. Decisionmakers should ensure that the
requesting individual knows who has been designated as a backup. The time
frames discussed in the next section will not be
suspended or extended due to the unavailability of a decisionmaker.
- The backup for a supervisor is the Office/Center
Director.
- The Human Resources Specialist (for applicants), the
Office/Center Director, and the Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or
other designee assigned to the case must each designate a backup.
1. In certain circumstances, referring and
processing a request will have to be done quickly. For example, an applicant
may need an accommodation immediately, such as help with filling out an
application form.
2. If a request that involves removal of an
architectural barrier is not feasible, the employee should be provided a
reasonable accommodation until or in lieu of removal of the barrier.
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AHRQ will process requests and
provide reasonable accommodation, as appropriate, in as short a time frame as
possible. The Agency recognizes that the time necessary to
process a request will depend on the nature of the accommodation requested and
whether there is a need to obtain supporting information.
Expedited Processing
In certain circumstances, a request for reasonable accommodation requires an
expedited review and decision in a time frame that is shorter than 10 business
days.
- This includes when a reasonable accommodation is needed to enable an applicant to apply for a job. Depending on the timetable for receiving applications, conducting interviews, administering
tests, and making hiring decisions, there may be a need to expedite a request
for reasonable accommodation in order to ensure that an applicant with a
disability has an equal opportunity to apply for a job. Therefore, FDA staff should
act as quickly as possible to make a decision and, if appropriate, provide
reasonable accommodation.
- This also
includes when a reasonable accommodation is needed to enable an employee
to attend a meeting or event that will soon occur. For
example, an employee may need a sign language interpreter for a meeting
within a short time frame.
If a request for an accommodation can be processed by the requesting employee's
supervisor or Office/Center Director, no supporting medical
information is required, and no extenuating circumstances apply, the decision
should be given to the employee as soon as possible, but no more than 15
business days from the date of request. The accommodation, if granted,
should be provided within 10 business days from the date of approval, unless
there are extenuating circumstances. Items that must be ordered from nonlocal
sources may take longer than the 10-day limit. However, officials
should move quickly to comply with requests, because failure to respond
promptly to a request may result in a violation of the Rehabilitation Act. Since decisionmakers may need the full 15 business days to engage in the
interactive process and collect all relevant information about possible
accommodations, they should not delay beginning this process. Failure to meet
this time frame solely because a decisionmaker delayed processing the request
is not an extenuating circumstance.
- If the decisionmaker believes that it is necessary to obtain
medical information to determine whether the requesting individual has a
disability and/or to identify the functional limitations, the decisionmaker
will make such request to the Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or other
designee as soon as possible after receipt of the request for accommodation, but
before the 15-day period ends. AHRQ recognizes that the need for documentation
may not become apparent until after the interactive process has begun.
- If the decisionmaker requests that the Reasonable Accommodation
Specialist or other designee obtain medical information, the time period for
the decision process is frozen until the medical information is provided. If
the Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or other designee determines that
medical information is not needed, he or she will notify the decisionmaker and
the 15-day time period for processing the request will resume.
- If the Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or other designee
determines that medical documentation is needed, the decision shall be made and
the accommodation, if granted, will be provided within 15 business days from
the date the decisionmaker receives the relevant medical information.
Examples of accommodations that can be provided immediately include:
- An employee with diabetes who sits in an open area asks
for four breaks a day to test his blood sugar level in private.
- An employee with a disability that affects arm strength
requests that certain files in her office be moved from the overhead
storage to the desktop.
Examples of accommodations that can easily be provided within 2 business
days include:
- An employee who takes an antidepressant medication that makes
it hard to wake up in time to get to the office at 9:00 a.m. requests to
start work at 10:00 a.m. and work an 8-hour day.
- A supervisor distributes a detailed agenda at the
beginning of each staff meeting. An employee with a learning disability
asks that the agenda be distributed ahead of time because his disability
makes it difficult to read the agenda, and he needs more time to prepare.
Extenuating Circumstances
When extenuating
circumstances are present, the time for processing a request for reasonable
accommodation and providing the accommodation will be extended as necessary.
All AHRQ staff is expected to act quickly in processing requests and providing
accommodations. The following list, while not exhaustive, outlines examples of
extenuating circumstances:
- There is an outstanding initial or followup request for
medical information.
- Purchase of equipment may take longer than 15 or 20
business days because of requirements under Federal Acquisition Regulations.
- Equipment is on back order, the vendor typically used for
goods or services has gone out of business, or the vendor cannot promptly
supply the needed goods or services and another vendor is not immediately
available.
- New staff needs to be hired or architectural barriers must
be removed.
Extenuating circumstances cover limited situations in which
unforeseen or unavoidable events occurring outside of the Agency's control
prevent the prompt processing and delivery of an accommodation. For example, AHRQ
staff may not delay processing or providing an accommodation
because a particular staff member is unavailable.
When extenuating circumstances exist, the
decisionmaker must notify the requesting individual of the reason for the delay
and the approximate date on which a decision, or provision of the reasonable
accommodation, is expected. Any further developments or changes
should also be communicated promptly to the individual. The following list, while
not exhaustive, outlines examples of delays and possible temporary measures
that can be taken:
- If there is a delay in providing an approved accommodation,
the decisionmaker must determine if
temporary measures can assist the employee. This could
include providing the requested accommodation on a temporary basis or
providing a less effective form of accommodation. In addition, the
decisionmaker may provide measures that do not constitute reasonable
accommodation within the meaning of the law (e.g., temporary removal of an
essential function) if: 1) the measures do not interfere with the
operations of the Agency and 2) the employee is clearly informed that the
measures are being provided only on a temporary, interim basis.
- There may be a delay in receiving adaptive equipment for
an employee with a vision disability. The supervisor might arrange for
other employees to act as readers as a temporary measure. This may not be
as effective as the adaptive equipment, but it will allow the employee to
perform as much of the job as possible until the equipment arrives.
- If a delay is attributable to the need to obtain or
evaluate medical documentation and the Agency has not yet determined that
the individual is entitled to an accommodation, an accommodation may be
provided on a temporary basis. In such a case, the decisionmaker will
notify the individual in writing that the accommodation is being provided on a temporary basis, pending a
decision on the accommodation request.
- AHRQ decisionmakers who approve such temporary measures
are responsible for ensuring that they do not take the place of permanent
accommodation and that all necessary steps to secure permanent
accommodation are being taken.
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The interactive process determines what, if any, accommodation should be
provided. This means that the individual requesting the accommodation and the
decisionmaker must talk to each other about the request, the process for
determining whether an accommodation will be provided, and the potential
accommodation.
Communication is a priority throughout the entire process. The AHRQ decisionmaker will have the principal responsibility for identifying
possible accommodations. The decisionmaker will take a proactive approach in
researching and considering possible accommodations, including consulting
appropriate resources for assistance. The employee requesting accommodation
should also participate to the extent possible in helping to identify effective
accommodation. The Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or other designee should
also be available to provide assistance.
- As the first step, the AHRQ decisionmaker will 1)
acknowledge the request, 2) explain to the applicant or employee who will
be making the decision on the request, and 3) describe what will happen in
the processing of the request. This
initial discussion should take place as soon as possible.
- When a request for accommodation is made by a third party,
the decisionmaker should, if possible, confirm with the applicant or
employee that he or she, in fact, wants a reasonable accommodation before
proceeding. It may not be possible to confirm the request if the employee
has, for example, been hospitalized in an acute condition. In this
situation, AHRQ staff will process the third party's request and consult
directly with the individual needing the accommodation as soon as it is
practicable.
- Ongoing communication is particularly important when the
specific limitation, problem, or barrier is unclear; an effective
accommodation is not obvious; or the involved parties are considering
different possible reasonable accommodations. In cases where the disability,
the need for accommodation, and the type of accommodation to be provided
are clear, extensive discussions are not necessary. Every reasonable
accommodation is provided on a case-by-case basis. The accommodation that
suits one individual may be unsuitable for another individual with the
same disability. The decisionmaker and requesting individual should
communicate to ensure a full exchange of relevant information.
- The decisionmaker or any other AHRQ official who receives
information in connection with a request for reasonable accommodation may
share information about that request with other Agency officials only when they need to know the information in
order to make determinations on a reasonable accommodation request. The decisionmaker should notify the FDA Reasonable Accommodation
Specialist in OEEODM to obtain guidance, as necessary, to ensure that the
proper procedures have been followed.
- The AHRQ Office that manages information resources or
information technology may be consulted in connection with requests for
adaptive equipment for computers. However, this Office has no need to know
the medical condition of the person seeking the accommodation. It only
needs to know the individual's functional limitations and how the
limitations affect technology needs. HHS now has an Interagency Agreement
with the Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program to provide assistive
technology, devices, and services to HHS employees with disabilities at no
cost.
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To enable HHS and AHRQ to maintain accurate records regarding requests for
accommodation, employees seeking a reasonable accommodation are asked to follow
an oral request by confirming their request in writing (including E-mail) to the
FDA Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or other designated decisionmaker. If
an individual with a disability requires assistance with this requirement, the
staff member who receives the request will provide that assistance.
While the written confirmation
should be made as soon as possible following the initial request, it is not
required before the request can be processed. AHRQ staff will begin processing
the request as soon as it is made, whether or not the written confirmation has
been provided.
A written confirmation is not required when an individual needs a reasonable
accommodation on a repeated basis (e.g., the assistance of sign language
interpreters or readers). The written confirmation is required only for the
first request, although appropriate notice must be given each time the
accommodation is needed.
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When requests for medical
information are necessary, the only information that should be requested is: a
short description of the disability, how the disability or barrier limits the
employee's ability to do the job or participate in AHRQ activities or the
applicant's ability to apply or interview for the job, and how the requested
accommodation is expected to improve the situation.
AHRQ is not required to obtain medical documentation, and may
not request it when the disability and need for accommodation are obvious or
already on file at the Agency. In these cases, the Agency will not seek
any further medical information. However, when a disability and/or need for
reasonable accommodation is not obvious or already on file, the Agency has the
right to request relevant documentation about the disability, functional
limitations related to the duties at issue, and the need for accommodation. The
request should be limited to the job related functions for which the
accommodation is requested. In most situations, this means that AHRQ staff may
not request access to a person's complete medical records, because they likely
contain information unrelated to the disability at issue and the need for
accommodation.
If a decisionmaker believes that medical information is
necessary in order to evaluate the suitability of the requested reasonable
accommodation, he or she will make a request to the FDA Reasonable
Accommodation Specialist or other designee to obtain the information. The
Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or other designee will make a determination
as to whether medical documentation is necessary. If it is, he or she will
request the necessary medical information. If it is not necessary, the request
for accommodation will be returned promptly to the decisionmaker with
instructions to complete the processing of the request.
If a determination is made to seek medical information, the
Reasonable Accommodation Specialist will request information only to
substantiate that the individual has a disability covered by the Rehabilitation
Act and needs the reasonable accommodation requested; he or she will not ask
for unrelated documentation. Requests for medical information will follow the
requirements set forth in EEOC's "Enforcement
Guidance: Disability-Related Inquiries and Medical Examinations of Employees Under
the Americans With Disabilities Act" (available at http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/guidance-inquiries.html).
The Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or other designee will seek information
or documentation about the disability and/or functional limitations from the
individual, and/or ask the individual to obtain such information from an
appropriate professional, such as a doctor, social worker, or rehabilitation
counselor. In order to receive the most helpful information possible, all
requests for information from outside sources will describe the nature of the
job, the essential functions that the individual is expected to perform, and
any other relevant information. The Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or
other designee may work with the supervisor and/or Office Director in
identifying and providing appropriate information about the job and its functions.
Once the medical documentation is received, the Reasonable
Accommodation Specialist or other designee will evaluate the information, in
consultation with a medical consultant, if necessary. This evaluation will be
performed at the Agency's expense. If the information provided by the health care
professional (or the information volunteered by the individual requesting the
accommodation) is insufficient to enable the Reasonable Accommodation
Specialist to determine whether an accommodation is appropriate, he or she may
request additional information.
- First, the Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or other
designee will explain to the individual seeking the accommodation, in
specific terms, why the information provided is insufficient, what
additional information is needed, and why it is necessary for a
determination of the reasonable accommodation request.
- The individual requesting accommodation may then contact
the health care professional or other appropriate professional to request
the missing information.
- Alternatively, the individual requesting the accommodation
and the Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or other designee may agree on
a list of specific questions to be sent to the individual's health care
professional. With the agreement of the individual, the Reasonable
Accommodation Specialist or other designee may directly contact the
individual's health care professional.
- If, after a reasonable period of time, the individual's
health care professional has not provided sufficient information to
demonstrate that the individual has a disability and needs reasonable
accommodation, the Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or other designee
may request that the individual be examined by a physician chosen by AHRQ,
at the Agency's expense.
The Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or other designee
will let the decisionmaker know whether the documentation demonstrates that a
reasonable accommodation is appropriate and provide, as necessary, additional
relevant information about the individual's functional limitations. In some
cases, the individual requesting the accommodation will supply medical
information directly to the decisionmaker without being asked. In these cases,
the decisionmaker will consider such documentation and, if additional
information is needed, the decisionmaker will work with the Reasonable
Accommodation Specialist or other designee as set forth in this section. Failure
to provide appropriate documentation or to cooperate with the Agency's efforts
to obtain such documentation can result in a denial of the reasonable
accommodation request.
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Under the Rehabilitation Act,
medical information obtained in connection with the reasonable accommodation
process must be kept confidential. All medical information,
including information about functional limitations and reasonable accommodation
needs, obtained in connection with a request for reasonable accommodation must
be kept in files separate from the individual's personnel file. Any AHRQ employee
who obtains or receives such information is strictly bound by these
confidentiality requirements.
- The FDA OEEODM will designate who will maintain custody of
all records obtained or created during the processing of a request for
reasonable accommodation, including medical records, and will respond to
all requests for disclosure of the records. All records will be maintained
in accordance with the Privacy Act and EEOC and HHS requirements.
- This information may be disclosed only as
follows:
- Supervisors and managers who need to know (including the
decisionmaker who requested that the medical information be obtained) may
be told about necessary restrictions on the work or duties of the
employee and about the necessary accommodation, but medical information
should only be disclosed if strictly necessary.
- First aid and safety personnel may be informed, when
appropriate, if the disability might require emergency treatment.
- Government officials may be given information necessary
to investigate compliance with the Rehabilitation Act.
- Information may in certain circumstances be disclosed to a
worker's compensation office or insurance carriers.
Whenever medical information is disclosed, the individual who discloses the
information must inform the recipients of the information about the
confidentiality requirements that are attached.
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The source of funding for reasonable accommodation requests should be
provided at the Office/Center level. Decisionmakers are responsible for seeking
out funding for the provisions of accommodations within their respective area.
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Reassignment will only be considered if no other accommodation enables the
individual to perform his or her current job, or if the only effective
accommodation would cause undue hardship for the Agency. Reassignment is
available only to employees, not to applicants. AHRQ is not required to create
new positions or move employees from their jobs to create a vacancy.
In considering whether there are positions available for reassignment, the FDA
Reasonable Accommodation Specialist or other designee will work with both the human
resources service provider and the individual requesting the accommodation to
identify: 1) all vacant positions within the Agency for which the employee may
be qualified, with or without reasonable accommodation, and 2) all positions that
the Division of Human Capital Resources Management has reason to believe will
become vacant over the next 60 business days and for which the
employee may be qualified. It must be
noted that when discussing reassignment, the term "Agency" refers to HHS. AHRQ
will first focus on positions that are equivalent to the employee's current job
in terms of pay, status, and other relevant factors. If there is no vacant
equivalent position, the organization will consider vacant lower-level
positions for which the individual is qualified.
Reassignment may be made to a vacant position outside of the employee's
commuting area if the employee is willing to relocate. As with other transfers
not required by management, AHRQ will not pay for the employee's relocation
costs.
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As soon as the decisionmaker determines that reasonable accommodation will
be provided, the decision should be immediately communicated to the individual.
If the accommodation cannot be provided immediately, the decisionmaker must
inform the individual of the projected time frame for providing the
accommodation. This notice can be provided in writing if it is requested by the
employee.
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