Reasonable accommodation

[Anonymous]

I have a lifelong medical disability that I take medication for. I haven’t disclosed it to anyone at work or filled out any forms.

If I chose to go down the reasonable accommodation route then would I be able to use that as a basis for avoiding RTO once Trump is back?

Right now I go in once a week into dc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a lifelong medical disability that I take medication for. I haven’t disclosed it to anyone at work or filled out any forms.

If I chose to go down the reasonable accommodation route then would I be able to use that as a basis for avoiding RTO once Trump is back?

Right now I go in once a week into dc.

What do you need an accommodation for?

[Anonymous]

I would think no if you haven’t disclosed it.

[Anonymous]

If your medical condition has never created an issue for you in doing your job, you cannot just get an accommodation.

[Anonymous]

Is there something about the disability that is incompatible with going to the office 5d/wk vs 1d/wk? Your doctor would have to agree that increasing to 5 days is not feasible due to your condition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your medical condition has never created an issue for you in doing your job, you cannot just get an accommodation.

If your job requirements changed, you could need accommodations

She’s not saying right now she needs accommodations. She saying if something changes, could she ask for an accommodation?.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would think no if you haven’t disclosed it.

^^^ don’t listen to this person. They don’t know what they’re talking about.

Nobody is required to disclose a disability until you need an accommodation.

[Anonymous]

I think reasonable accommodation means they have to do something in the workplace. I don’t think work from home is a “reasonable accommodation.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your medical condition has never created an issue for you in doing your job, you cannot just get an accommodation.

If your job requirements changed, you could need accommodations

She’s not saying right now she needs accommodations. She saying if something changes, could she ask for an accommodation?.

She could ask for an accommodation if her disability is preventing her from completing the essential functions of her job. That could be the case if her job requirements changed or if her health situation changes. Having a condition and taking medication for it is way too vague to know whether that requires an accommodation of working from home. She'll probably have to disclose, at least to HR/EEO, what the condition is in order to adequately explain why it prevents her from RTO more than 1 day a week.

[Anonymous]

Were you employed by this agency prior to Covid? If so, what was your employment agreement at that time? Were you in the office 5 days a week, 3 days.... If so, it will be harder to justify the need to WAH now.

Simply wanted to "avoiding RTO" is likely not a basis granting you a REASONABLE accommodation. You may want to seek out the advice of an employment attorney, depending on how important this is to your health. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't matter what any DCUMers think. It matters what your health care team says you need, and whether your organization agrees they can accommodate it. You'll need to have your need certified and this is usually done through your Benefits/Leaves team (even though it's not a leave), but they don't generally share your medical condition with your manager or the leadership team, only what your need is. So you retain some confidentiality, as that seems to be important to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter what any DCUMers think. It matters what your health care team says you need, and whether your organization agrees they can accommodate it. You'll need to have your need certified and this is usually done through your Benefits/Leaves team (even though it's not a leave), but they don't generally share your medical condition with your manager or the leadership team, only what your need is. So you retain some confidentiality, as that seems to be important to you.

+1 for this. Look at the Department of Labor Job Accommodation Network to see if your disability is associated with a recommended accommodation for telework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter what any DCUMers think. It matters what your health care team says you need, and whether your organization agrees they can accommodate it. You'll need to have your need certified and this is usually done through your Benefits/Leaves team (even though it's not a leave), but they don't generally share your medical condition with your manager or the leadership team, only what your need is. So you retain some confidentiality, as that seems to be important to you.

+1 for this. Look at the Department of Labor Job Accommodation Network to see if your disability is associated with a recommended accommodation for telework.

Edited to add that looking at JAN is just a way to get a sense of things that are common. However, if you're disability isn't related to telework, you may have a harder time getting a medical professional to sign off. Also, sometimes you will need to try other accommodations first. For example, for ADHD, they may ask that you try a quiet work space before telework.

[Anonymous]

Why can't you RTO because you have to take a medicine?

[Anonymous]

I think they have to show they made attempts at accommodation, or OP can quit and get unemployment