Faculty and staff directed to return to work onsite or in a hybrid manner who have concerns about doing so — due to disability or high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — may contact the AWARE Program for assistance with a reasonable accommodation request before they return to campus.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a reasonable accommodation as any modification in the workplace or in the way a job is carried out that enables a person with a disability to perform the essential functions of that job and enjoy equal employment opportunities.
“The AWARE Program has facilitated reasonable accommodations for more than 100 faculty and staff during the past few years and have plans for increased outreach post-pandemic,” said Alesia Jones, UAB chief human resource officer. “Our goal is to be proactive in assisting the UAB community with managing personal health needs within the work environment.
How does this work?
Whether an accommodation is reasonable will vary according to the position the employee holds, the way in which a disability affects an employee’s ability to do their job and the environment in which they work. The needs of the employer will be discussed as a part of the review. Learn more online at uab.edu/aware.
Each accommodation request differs and is reviewed independently, so the timeframe for completion varies. Faculty and staff will receive acknowledgment of his or her request within one business day and be kept informed of the progress. On average, requests are completed within five business days but could take longer if the employee does not have medical documentation readily available.
Note: A fear of contracting COVID-19 is not recognized as a valid reason for an accommodation. Review all of the safety measures being taken for onsite safety at uab.edu/coronavirus.
Accommodation reviews, prior to and during this time of campus entry, are confidential and should not be discussed with anyone not directly involved in the decision-making process.
The AWARE program is not the appropriate source for non-disability related reasonable accommodations such as childcare needs, general requests to work remotely or serving as a caregiver for someone with a disability or COVID high-risk factor. Contact your HR Consultant directly for guidance on concerns that are not related to an employee’s personal health condition.
Students should contact Disability Support Services to request a reasonable accommodation.
