The Interactive Process

To determine reasonable and appropriate employment accommodations for qualified SJSU employees, the EARC engages in an interactive process with the employee and employee’s manager/supervisor.  The interactive process is the collaborative process by which an employee and an employee’s manager/supervisor engage in discussion, review, and/or implementation of reasonable and appropriate employment accommodations.  Furthermore, the interactive process may be an ongoing process as the employee’s condition and/or position description change overtime.

Upon notification and/or request from an employee with a disability for employment accommodation, the EARC will invoke the interactive process with the employee and his/her manager/supervisor.  The EARC will:

  1. Review employee's medical/professional disability verification documentation to determine if the employee qualifies as an employee with a disability under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

  2. Meet with the employee to discuss his/her specific functional limitations resulting from the disability as they relate to his/her job functions.  EARC and the employee assess potential barriers to job performance to determine if they can be mitigated with a reasonable and appropriate employment accommodation(s).

  3. Consult with the employee's manager/supervisor to identify any undue hardship, discuss business necessities, and assess the effectiveness of the proposed accommodation(s) in enabling the employee to perform his/her essential job functions.*

  4. If appropriate, prescribe reasonable employment accommodation(s) to the employee and the employee's manager/supervisor.

*Manager/supervisor is responsible for maintaining the information discussed during the interactive process confidential.  EARC does not disclose confidential medical/professional verification of employee's disability to supervisor.

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