Every year, new laws affect workplaces across California. Beyond the minimum wage of $16.90 or higher, employers need to provide reasonable accommodations to every worker. This is a federal law, but California adds additional protections for its workers and job applicants. In California, reasonable accommodations include:

• Changing hours or work location
• Offering electrical or mechanical aids
• Providing medical leave
• Switching job duties

For both employers who need to comply with these laws to avoid lawsuits and fines and employees who want to ensure their rights are protected, understanding what reasonable accommodation means is essential. Our guide to reasonable accommodations in California workplaces helps you understand your rights and responsibilities.

Employee Protections: FEHA vs. ADA

Understanding reasonable accommodations requires you to look at both federal and state laws. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) establishes federal rules, while the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) expands on those protections.

While there are differences, these are the key points to keep in mind before laying off a worker or refusing an accommodation.

ADA rules only apply to businesses with 15 or more employees. California requires all businesses to comply with the law, regardless of how many employees they have.
FEHA covers many protected classes, including age, ancestry, disability (mental and physical), gender, genetics, religion, and sexual orientation.
Reasonable accommodations can only be denied if they would cause the employer “undue hardship,” meaning it would impact the business’s productivity/output or cost more than the company can afford.

Mental Health Accommodations

More than 5.56 million Californian adults have a mental illness. Of those, 46.1% suffer from anxiety or depression. Mental health is a leading cause of workplace accommodation violations.

Employers need to understand the types of mental disabilities, as they’re more than depression. ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and PTSD are other forms of mental illness that often require workplace accommodations.

Anxiety is a leading mental health condition, and flexible schedules or hybrid work arrangements help workers better manage their mental health. If you have a worker with anxiety, offering a quiet space away from co-workers helps the worker get through an anxiety attack.

An employee with autism may need a helper to accompany them to work until everyone understands how to interact with that worker and how to help avoid triggers. If a worker is triggered by loud bangs, an office near noisy industrial machinery is a bad idea.

Employers cannot rule out job candidates based solely on their mental health unless the applicant’s mental health would prevent the completion of job duties. Refusing to hire a worker with bipolar disorder due to worries about that worker disrupting the workspace isn’t legal.

Management must grant accommodations to workers who have been professionally diagnosed and have a history of mental illnesses. The only exceptions are if the company cannot afford the necessary upgrades.

Workers have a right to privacy until they request accommodations. It is not information to share with the entire workforce.

Physical Disability Accommodations

Physical accommodations seem straightforward. If an amputee lacks a left hand to use when typing, voice-to-text is an example of a reasonable accommodation. It might require a person with limited vision to have braille signs and employee manuals.

You might not think of pregnancy and childbirth as a physical disability, but they count. California law requires workplaces to accommodate women who are pregnant or have had a baby. It includes situations like providing a pregnant woman with an office closer to a bathroom while she deals with pressure on the bladder or morning sickness.

Breastfeeding employees have the right to take breaks as needed to pump breastmilk. She must be provided with a room that has a door, isn’t used by others while she’s in there, has power outlets and a sink for washing her hands, and a refrigerator or cooler for storing her milk.

Another area that’s being considered for workplace accommodations is under review by the California legislature. If passed, a woman going through the stages of perimenopause and menopause would qualify for reasonable accommodations starting in 2027.

If AB 1940 passes, it would mean that a woman experiencing a hot flash would be allowed to leave her desk to step outside into the cold air or to splash water on her face. She could be authorized to turn down the thermostat in her office.

New Compliance Considerations in 2026

California added a few new workplace compliance rules in 2026. If your HR office isn’t familiar with them, you’re overdue for a review of your employee handbooks and hiring practices.

Bathrooms must be single-stall or gender neutral.
Employers must provide workers with an annual “Know Your Rights” notice.
Using AI to scan resumes and job applications may be legal, but you’re responsible for ensuring the AI isn’t biased. Even if you purchase the software from a third party, you’re still liable.

Workplaces cannot discriminate against workers seeking religious accommodations, such as wearing a Hijab, unless doing so poses a safety risk to the worker.

Understanding the Interactive Process

California requires an employer and an employee to follow an “interactive process.” This is a good-faith communication that’s used to determine the best workplace accommodation for the situation.

It’s not just up to a worker to initiate the request for workplace accommodations. If an employer discovers a need for accommodations, they should initiate the process for the worker or job applicant. This involves an assessment of the worker’s physical or mental disability and the job duties that could be problematic.

Personnel records must be available for three or more years after a worker leaves the company.

If an employee asks for a copy of their records, the request must be in writing with at least 30 days’ notice. If an employer refuses or retaliates, it’s a violation of your rights.

Get Help From a Specialist in California Employment Laws

What comes next depends on who you are. Employers need to ensure they’re complying with all California and federal workplace laws. Workers need to understand the different laws that protect them within the workplace. There’s a lot to keep in mind.

Whether you are a worker who believes your employer has violated your rights or you’re a business owner looking to ensure that a contract and employee guide abides by employment laws, the attorneys at Shegerian Conniff can help.

We’ll look at your situation, inform you of your obligations or rights. We help employers by drafting contracts that comply with all applicable laws. Workers can come to us for assistance in determining if they have a valid complaint and what their next steps should be.

Reach Shegerian Conniff online or give us a call. We’re happy to answer your questions and support you through the next steps.