SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Civil Rights Department announced it reached a $300,000 settlement with the University of California San Francisco over allegations the university failed to adequately address an employee’s request for remote work accommodations related to a disability.
According to the California Civil Rights Department, the settlement resolves claims that UCSF failed to engage in a “good faith discussion” regarding possible accommodations for an employee whose disability limited certain physical activities.
“One of the core promises of our state’s disability protections is that every worker is entitled to a good faith discussion with their employer about ways to help them stay on the job,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish.
The complaint, originally filed in 2022, alleged that UCSF repeatedly failed to meaningfully engage with the employee regarding requests to work remotely despite documentation from a doctor supporting the accommodation.
According to CRD, the employee was at one point involuntarily placed on medical leave and required to continue commuting to work in pain for an extended period.
The complaint further alleged that the employee could have continued performing the job remotely because the department was already operating virtually at the time.
Under California law, employers are required to participate in an interactive process with employees requesting disability accommodations and explore reasonable alternatives before denying requests.
After conducting an investigation, CRD determined that UCSF violated state employment disability protections and moved to resolve the matter through mediation.
As part of the agreement, UCSF did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to hire an external consultant to review the university’s disability accommodation policies and practices for employees.
According to the settlement, the university will also implement recommendations from the review in consultation with CRD, train supervisors and staff on disability protections, and provide employees with additional notice regarding their rights to request accommodations.
The settlement further requires UCSF to pay $300,000 to cover compensation and legal costs related to the complaint.
The agreement also includes reporting and compliance requirements intended to monitor UCSF’s implementation of updated accommodation policies and training procedures.
The settlement underscores California’s legal requirement that employers meaningfully engage with workers requesting disability accommodations and carefully evaluate alternatives before denying requests.
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