Houston HR presents revised accommodation and civility policies; training planned for this year and early 2026

Human resources officials for the City of Houston on Sept. 18 told the City Council Labor Committee they have revised the city's reasonable-accommodation procedure and issued a new standards-of-conduct executive order that centralizes accommodation work within HR and clarifies when discipline up to indefinite suspension may apply.

"The policy statement shows the city's commitment to employees, applicants, job candidates with disabilities, limitations due to pregnancy, and our sincerely held religious beliefs by ensuring they have equal access to all employment opportunities," said Alisa Franklin Brocks, chief of staff for the Human Resources Department, as she summarized Administrative Procedure (AP) 3-34 during the committee briefing.

The changes, HR said, align city practice with federal requirements including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA/ADAAA), the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. HR also described operational changes intended to standardize how accommodation requests are handled and where medical records are stored.

Under the revised AP…