• Email: Accommodations-Req@pge.com
• Fax: 925-459-6124

If you have a disability and you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of your job, please see below for information on eligibility and how to request an accommodation.

Please note: If you believe your injury or illness is work-related and you are experiencing any discomfort, notify your supervisor and call the PG&E 24/7 Nurse Report Line at 1-888-449-7787 to report the incident.

What is a reasonable accommodation?

An accommodation is defined as the removal of a workplace barrier that enables an employee with a disability to perform the essential functions of the job. It can include making facilities accessible, providing equipment, or modification to a job duty, employment practice, or work environment. A reasonable accommodation would not include the elimination of an essential job function, changing performance expectations of the job, or changing a coworker or supervisor.

Who is an eligible employee?

An individual with a disability under applicable laws is defined as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that limits a major life activity, such as working, or who suffers from certain medical illnesses. To substantiate eligibility, an employee may be required to provide medical certification of having a disability.

Process

When employees request accommodation, the interactive process begins. The interactive process includes discussion(s) with the employee, supervisor and the Stay at Work/Return to Work Consultant, usually with input from the employee’s medical provider.

Below is an example of what you can expect in the interactive process. The interactive process is an ongoing and fluid process that can require several interactions. The order of these steps may vary, some steps may not be needed, and some steps may need to be repeated in order to identify the best accommodation.

1. You make a request for accommodation. The best method for making this request is directly to the Stay at Work/Return to Work team. The request can be submitted verbally or by FAX, email, or U.S. mail–see contact information below. You can also make a request to your supervisor or HR Representative. If you are unable to make the request, a representative such as your spouse, adult child, or medical provider can make this request on your behalf. If you ask them to do so, your supervisor will also make this request on your behalf.
   PLEASE NOTE: If you believe your injury or illness is work-related and you are experiencing any discomfort, you should notify your supervisor and call the PG&E 24/7 Nurse Report Line at 1-888-449-7787 to report the incident.
2. The Stay at Work/Return to Work consultant will respond to your request via phone call or written communication within five business days to discuss the request, seek clarification if needed, and the process for confirming eligibility. You may be asked to provide medical certification of your disability or illness.
3. If your supervisor is not aware of your accommodation request, our team will contact your supervisor to notify them of the request and to begin the dialogue of identifying potential accommodations.
4. If needed to identify potential accommodations, your supervisor will review your job description and/or job function analysis with you for accuracy, including confirming the essential functions of your job. This information may be sent to your medical provider, to aid in identifying your work restrictions and potential accommodations, and will be used in analyzing your accommodation request.
5. If the Stay at Work/Return to Work consultant asks you to seek information from your medical provider, such as certification of disability, identification of work restrictions, and/or identification of potential effective accommodations, you must provide your medical provider’s response to the Stay at Work/Return to Work consultant in a timely manner. Additional clarification may be required and may include more than one written and/or telephone inquiry to the physician.
6. After the Stay at Work/Return to Work consultant has obtained all of the necessary medical documentation, discussion(s) with you and your leader will be conducted to determine if a reasonable accommodation can be granted without undue hardship to the company. This may require more than one meeting and/or conversation.
7. If an accommodation can be provided, the Stay at Work/Return to Work consultant works with your supervisor to implement the reasonable accommodation.
8. If the accommodation is permanent, the consultant will send you a voluntary questionnaire to complete (Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability). The questionnaire is confidential and is used for federal reporting purposes only. No individual, personal information is disclosed.
9. If a reasonable accommodation cannot be provided, written notification will be provided to you.

Ongoing assessment and evaluation

Each accommodation request is reviewed and analyzed on a case-by-case basis to determine eligibility, effectiveness, and reasonableness of the accommodation. The provided accommodation must be effective in enabling you to perform the essential functions of your job, but it may not always be your preferred accommodation. The company may choose its preference from among available effective accommodations. However, we will take into consideration your preference.

The interactive process may be an ongoing process. If it turns out that the first accommodation provided is not effective in enabling you to perform the essential functions of your job or if business circumstances change, either you or the company is entitled to reinstate the interactive process to determine if a different reasonable accommodations can be put in place.

How do I request a reasonable accommodation?

There are several ways that you can request a reasonable accommodation. You can email the Stay at Work/Return to Work team at Accommodations-Req@pge.com, call the team, or use the reasonable accommodation request form located in the related steps section below. You can also talk to or email your supervisor or HR Representative about your request.

How long does the interactive process take?

Each case is different. However, the Stay at Work/Return to Work team will respond to your initial request within five business days of receipt.

What happens if an effective reasonable accommodation cannot be identified or provided?

If, after a thorough analysis, an accommodation cannot be identified that would enable you to perform the essential functions of your job or if the company cannot provide identified accommodations because doing so would cause undue hardship, a temporary medical leave of absence will be evaluated as a potential accommodation. For a permanent disability has rendered you unable to perform the essential functions of your job even with reasonable accommodations or if no other reasonable accommodation can be provided, you will be placed into our Return to Work Job Search Program to look for a new job that is within your work restrictions and for which you are qualified.

For further information and instructions, consult the Leave of Absence web page and/or contact your Stay at Work/Return to Work Consultant.

Reasonable accommodation request form

If you are a mother who is returning to work from parental leave and need a place to express your milk, visit the Nursing Mothers' Rooms at Work section.