# Leave accommodations without the headache

Cocoon streamlines leave accommodation requests, review processes, and tracking to take the time and confusion off your team’s plate.

## Simplify ADA and PWFA leave accommodation requests

If employees are not eligible for leave under FMLA or state laws, we’ll guide them through each step of submitting a leave accommodation request right in Cocoon.

## Cut the confusion. Streamline the “interactive process.”

Cocoon collects information from employees and instantly surfaces it for People teams’ review. Admins can then approve, deny, or request additional details—all within a matter of clicks in the Cocoon Dashboard.

## Accommodation and FMLA leaves—all in one platform

No one likes switching between multiple tools all day. With Cocoon, manage and track leave accommodations under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) in the same platform as your FMLA leaves.

[Learn more](https://www.cocoon.com/product/claims)

[Learn more](https://www.cocoon.com/product/claims)

## See our leave accommodation experience in action

Leave accommodations in Cocoon

# Leave as an accommodation

## See how Cocoon makes the request and review processes a breeze

Take the tour

## How Cocoon reduced administrative burden and gave employees an intuitive experience

> “It’s not just about having Cocoon, it’s about really trusting Cocoon, its software and processes, to take care of our employees and give them more ownership over their leave. We’re still involved in the process, but in a much more meaningful way.”  
>  
> Sarah Robillard  
> Senior Benefit Analyst at ActiveCampaign  
[Read ActiveCampaign's story](https://www.cocoon.com/blog/active-campaign-leave-management-customer-story)

## FAQs

### What is the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA)?  
The [Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA)](https://www.cocoon.com/blog/pwfa-final-regulations) has been in the works for a long time. It was signed into law in December of 2022, became effective in June of 2023, final regulations were released in April of 2024, and it finally went into effect on June 18, 2024. The PWFA requires that all employers with 15 or more employees provide reasonable accommodations for a qualified applicant’s or employee’s known limitations related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions unless the accommodation will cause the employer "undue hardship."

### Does Cocoon handle the transition from medical leave to an ADA leave accommodation?  
Short answer: yes. There are two ways Cocoon will prompt employees to explore a leave accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 1) If an employee does not qualify for medical leave based on applicable leave laws and your company policy, and 2) If the employee tries to extend a medical leave but has exhausted all their time under applicable leave laws (known as “entitlements”) or your policies. In either scenario, Cocoon will prompt employees to consider a [leave accommodation](https://app.arcade.software/flows/hH8xXHUHgN1NX68KuSnQ/view) and walk them through their options and the process.

### Who is a “qualified individual” under the ADA?  
To be protected under the ADA, an employee or job seeker with a disability must also be qualified to perform the “essential functions of the job” with or without reasonable accommodations that do not pose undue hardship on the employer.

### What is a leave accommodation?  
At Cocoon, we think of accommodations under laws like the ADA and PWFA in two categories: leave accommodations, and non-leave accommodations. For leave accommodations: a reasonable accommodation can include modifying existing leave policies and providing leave even when it’s not covered by existing policies or state/federal leave laws ([EEOC](https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/employer-provided-leave-and-americans-disabilities-act)). But there is no rule that says an employer must always provide leave as an accommodation. It depends on the facts in each situation (hence the case-by-case assessment).