Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your replies. Do you coordinate your reasonable accommodation request with your boss? My boss is nice. Like 50-90% of my duties on any single day would need to be erased… is this even feasible?

I’m a fed manager. It’s going to depend on what your job description says. If these duties are in your job description, they cannot be erased. Like if they need you lifting boxes or traveling once a month, that’s an essential part of your job.

What’s the disability? They can give reasonable accommodations that help with a lot. Like a screen reader or flexible hours so you can attend physical therapy in the middle of the day.

I’m wondering why you took a job if you can’t do 90% of the duties? Is this a new disability?

I hoped I can manage my conditions. I hoped the mix of tasks would let me have a break… and comeback, recovered and keep going and doing great work and out performing. And making a difference. It’s all coming down crumbling down.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:… and they would need to give me some other tasks… and so I would be relieved from most difficult tasks that are standard in this role.

I’m a manager but not a fed manager so my opinion is most likely irrelevant. It’s sounds like you would need a different role. If the tasks are standard to the role and the relief is from most of them, how would you be fulfilling your responsibilities?

I would be open to looking for a different role for my employee and would support that. I would fight to keep them employed. However I would not be able to keep them in their original role under those circumstances for long.

OP here. Thanks, I get it. That’s why I don’t know how to navigate us. It seems unfair to make such accommodations to one person then I’m not in the position to look for completely new role or job because I’m very very rundown. I’m looking into disability consultations with a lawyer. I got a note from the doctor to just take a week off and get better. This week is pain management, but I have other issues that are piled up on top of that, which is making it huge trouble.

Thanks for your perspective - it helps me with my thinking process to figure it out.

Anonymous wrote:… and they would need to give me some other tasks… and so I would be relieved from most difficult tasks that are standard in this role.

I’m a manager but not a fed manager so my opinion is most likely irrelevant. It’s sounds like you would need a different role. If the tasks are standard to the role and the relief is from most of them, how would you be fulfilling your responsibilities?

I would be open to looking for a different role for my employee and would support that. I would fight to keep them employed. However I would not be able to keep them in their original role under those circumstances for long.

I had an employee who asked for tasks to be limited due to anxiety, ptsd and depression. They said they couldn’t stay on task and wanted quotas lowered. It was rejected.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your replies. Do you coordinate your reasonable accommodation request with your boss? My boss is nice. Like 50-90% of my duties on any single day would need to be erased… is this even feasible?

I’m a fed manager. It’s going to depend on what your job description says. If these duties are in your job description, they cannot be erased. Like if they need you lifting boxes or traveling once a month, that’s an essential part of your job.

What’s the disability? They can give reasonable accommodations that help with a lot. Like a screen reader or flexible hours so you can attend physical therapy in the middle of the day.

I’m wondering why you took a job if you can’t do 90% of the duties? Is this a new disability?

Agree. It’s going to depend on the tasks. Let’s say you were hired to be a bus driver, but came down with a seizure disorder and are no longer allowed to drive. Your agency might try to move you into another open position that you could do if they are nice and have the flexibility to do so, but they have no obligation to keep you in the original job because you cannot do the core functions and can fire you under the law. Also, the accommodations just have to be sufficient and appropriate, but not necessarily the thing you specifically asked for.

Anonymous wrote:… and they would need to give me some other tasks… and so I would be relieved from most difficult tasks that are standard in this role.

What are the difficult tasks?

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your replies. Do you coordinate your reasonable accommodation request with your boss? My boss is nice. Like 50-90% of my duties on any single day would need to be erased… is this even feasible?

I’m a fed manager. It’s going to depend on what your job description says. If these duties are in your job description, they cannot be erased. Like if they need you lifting boxes or traveling once a month, that’s an essential part of your job.

What’s the disability? They can give reasonable accommodations that help with a lot. Like a screen reader or flexible hours so you can attend physical therapy in the middle of the day.

I’m wondering why you took a job if you can’t do 90% of the duties? Is this a new disability?

… and they would need to give me some other tasks… and so I would be relieved from most difficult tasks that are standard in this role.

Thanks for your replies. Do you coordinate your reasonable accommodation request with your boss? My boss is nice. Like 50-90% of my duties on any single day would need to be erased… is this even feasible?

I reached out to EAP after being blindsided by a terrible/hostile review from my then-boss. The person I was referred to was really helpful—she had some basic advice about protecting my job, but also had suggestions to get out of a depressive rut I’d fallen into. OP, I’d definitely recommend EAP if you have the energy for it.

Look at your agency’s EAP policy. As a manager, I would not be made aware that one of my people sought assistance. But as with most things, if they believe you to be a security risk or a threat to yourself or others, other parties may be gotten involved. But if this is health related, your agency may have support groups that meet occasionally and you can just go.

But if yours is a health issue, maybe you need to reach out to your reasonable accommodation office? EAP isn’t really going to be able to help you with absences, need to change job tasks, hours, etc.

EAP is confidential. Your manager should not know you are using it and certainly wouldn’t be privy to any details.

Can they guide you with practical advice to sort out medical vs job duties? Options…

EAP can be good for short-term counseling. For long-term counseling, it's best to find a therapist that accepts your health insurance.

Hi feds,

If you have experience with eap, would you recommend reaching out to them?

I’m on probation due to switching agencies. I’m a bit lost about how to navigate potential permanent disability. I have more than five year with fed gov. I’m hesitant to contact eap as I don’t know if this will spill out and go to my manager. My manager is nice but I still have no confidence in talking to them as this is a complex medical situation.

I had another thread here about sudden illness and probation. Set up consultation with lawyer - coming up. I’m just trying to figure out what to do…