How to Fill Out and Submit a Washington State Reasonable Accommodation Form

To request a workplace accommodation in Washington, submit a written request to your employer’s human resources department. There is no single mandatory Washington State reasonable accommodation request form, so you can use your employer’s internal template, a sample form from the Job Accommodation Network, or a plain letter or email.¹ What matters is that the request is written, identifies the job duties your condition affects, describes the specific change you need, and comes with medical documentation when your employer asks for it. The Washington Law Against Discrimination covers any employer with eight or more employees, a lower threshold than the federal Americans with Disabilities Act’s 15-employee minimum.²

Who Can Request an Accommodation

Washington defines disability broadly. Under RCW 49.60.040, a disability is any sensory, mental, or physical impairment that is medically diagnosable, exists as a record or history, or is perceived to exist. It counts whether temporary or permanent, common or uncommon.²

To qualify for a reasonable accommodation specifically, the standard is a bit narrower: your impairment must have a substantially limiting effect on performing your job, applying for a job, or accessing equal terms and benefits of employment. You also qualify if medical documentation shows that working without the accommodation would reasonably be likely to make your condition substantially worse.² A limitation with only a trivial effect on your work doesn’t clear that bar.

Your employer must have at least eight employees to be covered. Religious and sectarian nonprofit organizations are exempt.³ If your workplace is smaller, the state law does not apply, though the federal ADA may still reach employers with 15 or more workers.⁴

What Form to Use

Washington does not mandate a statewide accommodation request form. Many larger employers keep their own template in HR, and using it is fine. If your employer has no form, write a letter or an email instead. The Job Accommodation Network, a federally funded resource, publishes sample accommodation request forms that both employees and employers can use as templates.⁵ Using one of these templates is optional, but they prompt you for the information HR will need anyway.

Whichever format you pick, put the request in writing. An oral request technically counts, but a written record protects you if a dispute later arises about whether you asked, what you asked for, and when. Keep a copy of everything you submit.¹

What to Include

Whether you use a form or write from scratch, HR needs three things: what job tasks your condition affects, how your limitations make those tasks difficult, and what specific change would help.

Start with the job functions your impairment makes harder. Washington’s accommodation rules exist to enable “the proper performance of the particular job held or desired,” so tie the request to your actual duties.⁶ Instead of “I have back problems,” write something like “I cannot stand at the packing line for more than two hours without severe pain, which prevents me from completing a full shift.”

Then describe the accommodation you need. Reasonable accommodations under Washington law include but are not limited to:

Adjusted duties or schedules, such as modified hours, reduced lifting requirements, or reassignment of tasks that aggravate your condition.
Changes to the work environment, like ergonomic equipment, a height-adjustable desk, a quieter workspace, permission to use a service animal, or altered break schedules.
Transfer to a vacant position you’re qualified for; your employer should tell you about open roles and consider you for them.⁶

Be specific. A request for “a screen reader and permission to take 10-minute breaks every two hours” gives HR something concrete to evaluate. A vague request for “a better setup” slows things down.

Temporary Versus Permanent Conditions

Washington law covers both temporary and permanent disabilities, so a short-term condition like post-surgical recovery or a broken limb is a valid basis for a request.² State the expected duration in your request. If the duration is uncertain, say so and give your provider’s best estimate. Temporary accommodations can be revisited and adjusted as your condition changes.

Medical Documentation

Your employer can ask a healthcare professional to weigh in on two things: whether your disability affects your ability to perform the job, and what accommodations might help.⁷ The provider’s opinion must be based on your individual capabilities, not generalizations about everyone with the same condition, and on knowledge of the actual physical, mental, and sensory demands of your specific job.

That means your doctor needs to understand what you actually do at work. Give your provider a copy of your job description or a summary of your essential duties before the appointment. Your employer may also share job-specific information directly with the provider.⁷

The Washington State Human Rights Commission treats medical diagnosis as a valid way to establish a disability. Some conditions like blindness or paralysis are self-evident; mental and psychological disabilities should always be diagnosed by a credentialed mental health practitioner.⁸ Your provider should describe your functional restrictions (maximum time standing, weight limits, need for a quiet environment) along with the expected duration of those restrictions. The documentation should be signed and dated.

If your doctor sends a separate letter rather than filling in part of a form, attach it to your request so everything stays in one package. Providers may charge a fee for completing documentation; those costs typically fall on the employee unless the employer requests a second opinion or independent evaluation, which is at the employer’s expense.

Confidentiality

Washington’s administrative code requires employers to keep employee healthcare information confidential and in a file separate from your regular personnel records. Your medical information may be shared only on a need-to-know basis. Supervisors and safety personnel can learn about your needs only when necessary to make appropriate work assignments or develop emergency response plans.⁷ Your coworkers have no right to know your diagnosis or the details of your accommodation.

How to Submit and What Happens Next

Send the completed request and any medical documentation to your HR representative, your direct supervisor, or through whatever channel your employer designates. If there’s a secure digital HR portal, use that. Deliver it in a way that gives you proof of receipt: email with a read receipt, a hand-delivered copy with a dated signature, or certified mail if necessary.

Once your employer has the request, Washington law expects both sides to work through what RCW 49.60.040 calls the interactive process, a back-and-forth for establishing that an impairment exists and identifying accommodations that will work.² In practice, your employer might approve exactly what you asked for, propose an alternative, request additional medical information, or set up a meeting to discuss how a modification would work in your role.¹

Washington law does not set a specific number of days for a response, but the employer should respond promptly. Delays, silence, or vague brush-offs can amount to a failure to engage in good faith. Document every conversation and follow up in writing after any verbal discussion. If your employer proposes an alternative, evaluate whether it actually addresses your limitation. It doesn’t have to be your first choice, but it must be effective.

When a Request Is Denied

An employer can deny a specific accommodation if it would impose an undue hardship. Under WAC 162-22-075, undue hardship is measured against the size and resources of the employer, whether the cost could be rolled into planned maintenance or remodeling, and the requirements of other laws and contracts.⁹ A denial on that ground doesn’t end the conversation; the employer must still explore whether a less costly or disruptive alternative exists. If your request is denied outright with no alternative offered, ask for the denial in writing with specific reasons. That documentation matters if you later need to file a complaint.

If Your Employer Retaliates or Refuses to Engage

It is an unfair practice for a Washington employer to discharge, expel, or otherwise discriminate against someone for filing a complaint, testifying, or assisting in a proceeding under RCW 49.60. That protection covers requesting a reasonable accommodation: your employer cannot demote, fire, cut your hours, or otherwise punish you for making the request.¹⁰

If you believe your employer retaliated or refused to engage in the interactive process, you can file a discrimination complaint with the Washington State Human Rights Commission. The deadline for employment discrimination complaints is six months from the date of the alleged violation. File online through the WSHRC complaint portal, or contact the commission at 1-800-233-3247 or frontdesk@hum.wa.gov for technical assistance.¹¹ Six months is a short window, so don’t wait to see if things improve before starting the process.

1
Washington Law Help. Ask Your Employer for Accommodations
2
Washington State Legislature. RCW 49.60.040
3
Washington State Legislature. WAC 162-16-220
4
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Small Employers And Reasonable Accommodation
5
Job Accommodation Network. Sample Forms
6
Washington State Legislature. WAC 162-22-065
7
Washington State Legislature. WAC 162-22-090 – Health Care Opinions
8
Washington State Human Rights Commission. Guide to Disability and Washington State Nondiscrimination Law
9
Washington State Legislature. WAC 162-22-075 – Undue Hardship Exception
10
Washington State Legislature. RCW 49.60.030
11
Washington State Human Rights Commission. File a Complaint