General legal information for California workers — read it, then tell us what happened.
A California employer may have to provide a reasonable accommodation that enables a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to perform essential job duties, unless it would create undue hardship. The employer should engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process rather than ignore the request or demand special legal words. If this is happening to you, California law gives you real protections — speak with us 24/7, free and private, and leave with a video call booked with a California employment attorney who already understands your story.
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None of these alone decides a case — but each is worth writing down while it is fresh:
Deadlines in employment cases are real, strict, and vary by claim — talking to an attorney early protects your options.
Protect your options — speak with us →You talk; we listen and organize. These are the questions that give your story its weight:
It is a change that can enable a qualified person with a disability to apply, perform essential job functions, or access employment benefits. Examples can include schedule changes, equipment, modified policies, reassignment, remote work, job restructuring, or leave, depending on the job and hardship.
A written request is not always legally required, and no special phrase is necessary. Written communication is still useful because it records the requested change, the connection to a medical limitation, and when the employer received notice.
It is a timely, good-faith exchange in which the worker and employer identify the limitations, essential duties, and possible effective accommodations. An employer does not always have to provide the worker's first choice, but should genuinely explore effective alternatives.
A finite period of medical leave can sometimes be a reasonable accommodation even when CFRA or FMLA does not apply or has been exhausted. Indefinite leave and undue hardship raise different issues, so expected duration and medical information matter.
An employer may not retaliate because a worker requested a reasonable accommodation. It may take action for a legitimate reason or when no reasonable accommodation permits essential duties, but the interactive process, timing, and stated reason should be examined.
Consider speaking with an attorney when the facts involve money owed, job loss, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, leave denial, or a deadline. This site provides general information and intake support, not legal advice.
No. Submitting information or using the intake assistant does not create an attorney-client relationship unless an attorney agrees to represent you in writing.
Start with the governing statute and agencies, then bring your specific facts to an attorney. These links are primary public sources, not substitutes for advice.
The law is statewide; the workplaces are local. Start with your city, or speak with us from any of the 58 counties:
Speak with us now — free, private, any hour. Tell your story once, and leave with a video call booked with a California employment attorney.
Free · Private · Any hour — start by talking, not typing.