The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) recently announced a $300,000 settlement with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) over allegations that the university failed to properly respond to an employee’s request for a remote work accommodation related to a disability. Beyond the financial settlement, the case serves as an important reminder that employers should regularly review accommodation procedures, manager training, and workplace policies to reduce compliance risk. 

The Facts 

In 2022, the CRD received a complaint alleging that UCSF failed in multiple instances to adequately engage with an employee seeking exceptions to workplace policies because of a disability limiting certain physical activities. According to the complaint, the employee was involuntarily placed on medical leave, denied meaningful opportunities to discussu  alternatives to working in the office despite providing a doctor’s note supporting the request, and required to continue driving into the office in pain for an extended period after seeking an accommodation. The employee also alleged they could have continued performing their regular duties remotely, particularly because the department was already working remotely at the time. 

As part of the settlement, UCSF will: 

• Hire an external consultant to conduct a thorough assessment of the university’s policies and practices for disability-related accommodations for employees. 

• Implement recommendations made by the consultant, as appropriate and in consultation with CRD, to ensure compliance with state protections for workers with disabilities. 

• Train supervisors, managers, and staff who provide disability services on state requirements regarding reasonable accommodations, as well as protections against disability discrimination. 

• Provide direct notice to certain UCSF medical center employees on their right to be free from discrimination and retaliation, including information on how to request an accommodation. 

• Pay $300,000 in compensation to cover relief for the employee and legal costs. 

What Does It Mean for Employers? 

The case highlights a common compliance issue: applying workplace policies too rigidly without fully evaluating whether reasonable exceptions may be required under California disability laws. 

California law requires employers to engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process to explore reasonable accommodations before denying requests tied to a disability. According to the California Code of Regulations, reasonable accommodations specifically include modified schedules, remote work arrangements, reassignment of duties, leave, changes to work locations, or assistive devices, provided they do not create an undue hardship for the employer. 

California also broadly defines disability protections, covering conditions that limit major life activities, including physical, mental, social, and work-related activities. Employers should ensure supervisors understand that accommodation requests often require individualized assessments rather than automatic reliance on existing workplace policies. 

To reduce legal and compliance risk, employers should ensure accommodation requests are evaluated individually rather than through rigid application of workplace policies. Consider these best practices: 

• Review accommodation policies to ensure flexibility for individualized assessments. 
• Train supervisors and HR personnel on the importance of engaging in the interactive process and documenting accommodation discussions. 
• Consider whether remote work or modified work arrangements may qualify as reasonable accommodations based on the employee’s job duties and operational needs. 
• Avoid retaliatory actions or automatically placing employees on leave before fully exploring accommodation options and, when appropriate, seeking legal counsel. 
• Regularly audit accommodation procedures to ensure compliance with California disability laws.