If you have a medical condition and need your employer to make a change to your job or work environment to help you perform your duties, you should inform them. But how can you make such a request? Is there a wrong way to go about it?
Here is how you can request a reasonable accommodation at work:
You can request in writing or face-to-face conversation
You can request a reasonable accommodation in writing, face-to-face conversation or any other form of communication. However, it may be wise to send your request in written form for documentation purposes.
Your employer will likely respond in writing by sending a letter confirming your request or may give you a form to fill out.
You don’t have to say “reasonable accommodation”
You don’t have to mention “reasonable accommodation” in your request. Telling your employer you can’t attend a face-to-face meeting because of a medical condition and therefore you need to do so remotely or asking them to reduce your duties because of pregnancy can be considered reasonable accommodation.
What will your employer do?
After making your request, your employer will make reasonable efforts to find out what you need. This is called the interactive process. During this process, they may ask you for medical documentation related to the requested accommodation if the disability and need for accommodation are not obvious. They may also ask you a few questions to identify the appropriate accommodations in your case.
After that, they will choose an accommodation based on your preferences and the business needs. Note that after the interactive process, your employer may deny your request if implementing the reasonable accommodation will cause the business undue hardship.
If you believe your employer unfairly denied your request for a reasonable accommodation, get legal help to protect your employee rights.
