Employees rarely say the words reasonable accommodation. The EEOC's guidance is clear that a person may ask in plain English and does not need to mention the Americans with Disabilities Act. Statements such as I am having trouble with the lights since my treatment started, or I need to leave early on Tuesdays for appointments for the next few months, may be requests. The Job Accommodation Network advises supervisors to err on the side of treating an unclear statement as a possible request and to ask a simple follow-up question: What would help you do your job?
State of Minnesota policy sets out who does what. Under Minnesota Management and Budget's reasonable accommodation policy for executive branch agencies, a request can be made in any form, orally or in writing, to a supervisor, Human Resources, the ADA coordinator or another agency official. Oral requests should be documented. Supervisors may approve some straightforward requests, such as standard office equipment or low-cost adaptive items, or a change in schedule or duties, within the limits the policy sets. The agency ADA coordinator must be consulted before any request is denied, and medical information is kept by the accommodation process, separate from personnel files. If an approved accommodation cannot be provided quickly, the decision maker keeps the employee informed. Check DHS's current procedure for exactly how requests are logged.
For a new supervisor, the practical steps are: listen, acknowledge the request, avoid asking for a diagnosis, contact your Human Resources partner or the ADA coordinator promptly, and follow up with the employee about timing. Do not require medical records yourself. You may need to know what the limitation is and what will help; you do not need to know why. The EEOC notes that when more than one effective accommodation exists, the employee's preference should be given primary consideration, while the employer chooses among effective options.
Confidentiality protects trust. Do not tell the team why someone has a different schedule or a new chair. If coworkers ask, you can say that you handle individual arrangements privately for everyone. Religious accommodation requests follow a similar pattern and should also go promptly to Human Resources. Asking for any accommodation is protected activity under federal law, so it must never be held against the employee in assignments, reviews or recognition.
