Request an Accommodation
Employees whose age or health condition falls within one of the CDC High Risk Categories and People Who Need to Take Extra Precautions or who have other personal circumstances may seek a workplace adjustment through the COVID-19 Temporary Accommodation process. According to the CDC, individuals with certain medical conditions may have a higher risk for serious illness from a COVID-19 infection and older adults present a higher risk for developing more severe complications from COVID-19.
Some of the conditions that increase the risk for serious illness from a COVID-19 infection, according to the CDC, include age, chronic lung and kidney disease, immunocompromised state, obesity, and serious heart conditions. The current review of requests for an accommodation is based on the latest CDC High Risk Categories and People Who Need to Take Extra Precautions that list all medical risk factors. This list is subject to change as new information about COVID-19 becomes available. Please refer to the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.
| For Faculty and instructional staff who wish to teach remotely: While you may have a particular reason to apply for an accommodation through the Office of Human Resources Management (Human Resources), you will be able to indicate your preferred modality to teach fall 2020 course(s) without the need to request such an accommodation. If you have already submitted an accommodation request to Human Resources, you can either continue with the accommodation process or withdraw your request by contacting Human Resources at [email protected]. |
Guidelines
- Employees who self-identify as high-risk, pursuant to CDC High Risk Categories and People Who Need to Take Extra Precautions, may apply for a temporary COVID-19 reasonable accommodation from the Office of Human Resources Management (and notify the Office of the Provost, if applicable) to continue to, or work remotely.
- Employees who live with a high-risk household member, or who care for a high-risk family member may request a temporary accommodation. The employee may be asked to present documentation to the Office of Human Resources Management supporting their living or care arrangements.
- Fordham acknowledges that some employees may have personal circumstances not included in the CDC High Risk Categories and People Who Need to Take Extra Precautions that may impact their ability to return to campus.
Considerations
Fordham will consider all requests for a COVID-19 Temporary Accommodation based on the department’s needs and the nature of the position. To make such a determination, Fordham will enter into an interactive process with the employee and the employee’s supervisor. Fordham may offer an alternative work arrangement to address the employee’s request, including, but not limited to: medical-grade Personal Protective Equipment, remote work, alternate work locations, staggered start times, and/or flexible schedules.
If the employee’s requested accommodation creates an undue hardship, or the position is not amenable to an alternate work arrangement, or the employee rejects the alternate work arrangement offered, the employee may be granted an unpaid leave of absence for a certain period of time. (For more information, visit Job Accommodation Network.)
For more information regarding high-risk populations, visit Guidelines for Opening Up America Again published by the U.S. Federal Government, as well as What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws published by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Appeals Process
To appeal an accommodation determination, please visit Appeals Process for COVID-19 Temporary Accommodation Request Determination.
Privacy Statement
Fordham University provides accommodations due to COVID-19 to qualified employees. Accommodations are determined, identified and implemented in a collaborative process among the employee, supervisor, Human Resources, and Office of the Provost if applicable, with review and feedback from the University’s Occupational Health Consultant(s). All medical documentation and information should be shared solely with Human Resources or the University’s Occupational Health Consultant(s).
Contents of this request are confidential. This form, and any medical documentation submitted on your behalf, will not be placed in your personnel file. All medical documentation will be kept in a separate confidential file as per applicable law.
NOTE: Please visit Fordham’s Email Encryption website and follow the process to safeguard and ensure the privacy of your medical information.
Questions or Concerns
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:
Office of Human Resources Management
718-817-4930
[email protected]
For More Information
For more information regarding accommodations and COVID-19, please visit: