Relocation for those with Reasonable Accommodation (RA) may be paused
This was very interesting in the FAQ's for FSIS. All those with current RA's will need to reapply for a new RA if you are directly reassigned or your duty station is changed. This will pause relocation until the new RA request has been adjudicated. And most importantly, those who reapply for their RA and are granted a new telework RA will not be relocated.
Sounds like they are trying to follow the law and go through an individualized process for each employee with a RA to avoid expensive EEOC lawsuits.
What if I have an existing reasonable accommodation (RA) and receive a directed reassignment letter for outside the NCR or change of duty station within the NCR?
Reasonable accommodations apply to an individual employee and are based on their accommodation needs combined with the specifics of their duty station. With a management directed reassignment or change of duty station, one half of that equation changes, and the circumstances and accommodations needed for the new location may be different. That means a new RA will need to be requested by the employee for any accommodations needed at their new location.
If an employee has an existing RA and has received a change of duty station or management directed reassignment, and they have accepted that reassignment, the employee will need to apply for a reasonable accommodation based on their new location and workspace. This will allow the agency to consider the employee’s individual needs and ensure that the most effective accommodations are in place at the new duty station. If the employee’s reasonable accommodation involves telework or remote work, the employee will not start the relocation process until their new RA request has been adjudicated. That process may take some time. If an RA that involves fully remote work (sometimes referred to as “fulltime telework”) is granted through that new request, the employee will not be subject to relocation.