Are employees required to disclose to their supervisor if they have a medical condition or disability?
No. You do, however, need to make known to your supervisor your needs for accommodation/adjustment resulting from the medical condition or disability.
What does it mean to register with UReturn?
Registration means that we complete a process that defines roles and responsibilities for you and your supervisor in a confidential manner. We will ask you to complete some brief forms.
An employee was just diagnosed with a health condition and is learning how to cope with my new symptoms. How do they know if there are accommodations to assist me?
Adjustment to a chronic medical diagnosis is challenging. One of those challenges is determining the impact of this condition on your job. UReturn will work with you, your physician, and your supervisor to help determine what, if any, reasonable accommodation/adjustment is suitable, and then facilitate its implementation.
An employee is out on an FMLA leave and is ready to return-to-work. How can UReturn support in this process?
UReturn can assist you and your physician to Return-to-Work at the earliest medically suitable point. In addition, UReturn will work with your physician to define functional limitations upon return, establish reasonable accommodations to give employees access to completing essential job functions, as well as any work hardening that is medically necessary.
I have been having performance problems on the job, and I know it is related to my medical condition. Can my supervisor discipline me for this?
Your supervisor needs to address performance issues. UReturn can help you and your supervisor differentiate issues related to a medical condition/disability from performance issues, as well as determine if an adjustment/accommodation is needed.
Will my supervisor and co-workers know about my disability?
UReturn is a confidential office. Your supervisors and co-workers will not receive diagnostic and/or treatment information from UReturn. You have the right to self-disclose to those with whom you feel comfortable.
I was recently diagnosed with diabetes. Is that considered a disability?
Disability determination is not made by diagnosis alone. The functional limitations associated with that diagnosis are of greater importance in determining whether someone has a "disability" as defined by disability law.
I am transitioning back to work on campus and have University-supplied equipment in my home office. Whose responsibility is it to get it moved back?
Returning equipment back to campus is the employee’s responsibility. Please review the information put out by the Controller’s Office titled Remote Work - Business Expenses: "If the University provides equipment, the individual employee assigned the equipment is responsible for safe transportation and set-up of such equipment."
I am having issues with ergonomics now that I am at home. Can UReturn help me? If so, how?
UReturn has and will assist with virtual assessments of your home workspace. You can start by downloading our work-from-home ergonomics fact sheet (PDF). We will also bring in the Department of Environmental Health & Safety (DEHS) resources if necessary. DEHS Links:
I applied for Short Term Disability through UNUM. My orthopedic surgery was canceled at the last minute and I am not able to reschedule it at this time. I am having a lot of pain and am unable to do my job. Can you help me? (And other questions about UNUM benefits).
Please contact the University Employee Benefits office. Also please connect with your UReturn Access Consultant regarding possible workplace accommodations.