Obligations of the Employer in the Interactive Process

California's disability regulations require an employer to begin the interactive process when any of the following occur:

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• An applicant or employee with a known disability requests an accommodation.
• The employer becomes aware of the need for an accommodation through a third party.
• The employer becomes aware of the need for an accommodation by observation.¹
• The employer becomes aware of the possible need for accommodation because the employee has a disability and has exhausted leave under the California Workers’ Compensation Act, the²