Title
Review, approve, and adopt the proposed revised Reasonable Accommodation Policy.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors review, approve, and adopt the proposed revised Reasonable Accommodation Policy.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Civil Rights Office recommends that the Board of Supervisors review, approve, and adopt the recommended revised Reasonable Accommodation Policy.
The County's Equal Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities and Reasonable Accommodation Policy was last updated in 2012. The new Reasonable Accommodation Policy includes proposed changes to reflect current case law updates and make the document more accessible. The revisions also incorporate several statutory and case law updates and make the policy easier to follow for its users by eliminating antiquated terms and incorporating best practices. In addition, the revised Policy is designed to comport to with the County's current policy format.
In addition to shortening the policy's name and accurately reflecting the Civil Rights Office's name change, the proposed updates contain two substantive changes outlined below.
Significant Change No. 1: Updated Terms and Definitions: Some definitions, such as the Major Life Activities definition, were updated to reflect the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing's (DFEH) current definitions. Additionally, antiquated terms that have fallen into disuse, such as the term "mental retardation," were updated or removed, where necessary.
Significant Change No. 2: Examples Removed: The current policy contains several pages of examples that make the policy an unwieldy document. The proposed policy is shortened by several pages by eliminating unnecessary examples, making it a more workable and practical document.
With these proposed changes, the proposed Reasonable Accommodation Policy will be more accessible for our Human Resource Department personnel, Monterey County employees and applicants for employme...
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