Start with the request and the decision
An accommodation log should begin with what the employee asked for and when. Record the request in the employee's own words when that is possible. Add the date, the decision maker and the date of the decision. A log that starts with a diagnosis rather than a request collects the wrong information.
Separate the requested change from the medical detail. A supervisor may need to know that an employee cannot lift above a certain weight without needing the underlying condition. Keep medical documentation in the confidential process that the organization already uses. The log should point to that file, not duplicate it.
Record the operational change, not the diagnosis
Write down the adjustment that was made and where it applies. A changed start time, a modified desk or a temporary transfer all belong in the log. Use the same description that the supervisor and the employee agreed to. Ambiguous language creates disputes when a new manager takes over.
Note the start date and the expected review date for every temporary change. A temporary accommodation without a review date tends to become permanent by silence. The review is a chance to ask whether the barrier is gone. It is not a test of whether the employee still deserves the change.
Write the operational instruction in a form a new supervisor can follow. Include the task, the limit and the person to call when the instruction does not fit the day. Avoid abbreviations that only the original supervisor understands. A clear instruction survives a shift change.
Give every follow-up a named owner
A log without an owner becomes a list of good intentions. Assign one person to confirm each action and one backup for absences. Record the date the action was completed, not only the date it was promised. The employee should know who to contact if the change does not happen.
Check the action in the place where the work occurs. A new chair ordered by human resources does not help if it never reaches the workstation. A schedule change approved in the system does not help if the supervisor keeps posting the old shift. Verification belongs to the person who can see the actual result.
Check whether the barrier was removed
Ask the employee whether the change solved the problem it was meant to solve. Use a short, direct question and leave room for a negative answer. A change that is technically in place but practically useless should be revised. The employee is the best source on whether the barrier remains.
Do not treat a request for a different adjustment as failure. The first attempt often reveals a constraint that was not visible at the start. Record the revision and the reason. A short history of adjustments is more useful than a log that shows only the final version.
Share only what the supervisor needs
A supervisor needs the operational instruction, the effective date and the review date. The supervisor does not need the medical file, the diagnosis or the employee's private explanation. Give the supervisor a short summary that answers the questions required to run the shift. Keep the rest in the confidential record.
Explain the boundary to the employee before the information is shared. A clear explanation builds trust and reduces the chance that the employee learns about disclosure secondhand. If a new supervisor needs access, use the same limited summary. Access should follow the role, not personal curiosity.
Keep the log separate from the general personnel file unless the organization has a clear reason to combine them. A separate record makes the access boundary easier to enforce. It also makes the review easier because the operational actions are in one place. Check the access list when a supervisor changes teams.
Close the log when the need ends
An accommodation may end because the restriction ends, the role changes or the employee leaves. Record the end date and the reason in plain language. Confirm that any temporary equipment has been returned or reassigned. An open entry that no longer applies creates confusion during the next review.
Do not delete the history. A closed entry helps the organization answer a later question about what was tried. It also shows whether the same barrier appears again in the same team. The record should be durable enough to survive a change of supervisor.
Audit the log for stale entries
Review the log on a fixed schedule, such as once a month. Look for entries with no review date, no owner or no completion note. Contact the employee before closing an entry that may still be active. A stale entry is not proof that the accommodation failed, but it is proof that the follow-up stopped.
Use the return-to-work restriction coordination and accommodation request handoff guides when the request crosses into a leave or hiring process. The EEOC disability discrimination guidance describes the legal framework that the log supports. A current log is a practical retention tool and a record of good faith. Review one sample of closed entries each quarter to confirm that the actions were completed.