Is working from home a reasonable accommodation for anxiety

If symptoms of a mental health or substance use condition are impacting your ability to perform at work, it may be time to have a conversation with your supervisor or human resources (HR) department about reasonable accommodations.

You may already know that people with physical disabilities or health conditions can request special accommodations to help them complete their job duties. But accommodations for mental health conditions can be just as important for employees to perform to the best of their ability at work.

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. Staff at JAN offers one-on-one guidance on workplace accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related laws, and self-employment and entrepreneurship options for people with disabilities.

According to JAN, the following is a list of common accommodations that you can request to help you manage your mental illness and job responsibilities:

• Flexible Schedule
• Modified Break Schedule
• Rest Area/Private Space
• Support Animal
• Support Person
• Identify and Reduce Triggers

If you want to research accommodation options yourself, you can call JAN to get accommodation ideas or look at JAN’s on-line accommodation publications at JAN’s A to Z.

When requesting an accommodation, JAN recommends documenting a written request by completing an accommodation request letter. You should consider the following items to include when drafting the letter:

• Identify yourself as a person with a disability
• State that you are requesting accommodations under the ADA (or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 if you are a federal employee)
• Identify your specific problematic job tasks
• Identify your accommodation ideas
• Request your employer’s accommodation ideas
• Refer to attached medical documentation if appropriate
• Ask that your employer respond to your request in a reasonable amount of time

A request for accommodations should be processed in a quick and timely manner by management or HR to be in compliance with the ADA; however, you might consider following up with your supervisor or HR directly to check in with the processing of your request and further document the interaction.

Resources

Sample Accommodation Request Letter

Follow-up Email Template

The good news is that there is help! The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can help employed individuals who struggle with these debilitating conditions receive assistance and accommodations.

This means that the answer is yes, you absolutely can request for accommodations at work. But how does this process work?

Requesting Accommodations for Depression and Anxiety

According to the ADA, if you are diagnosed with depression or anxiety, then you automatically have the right to request certain accommodations at work. The easiest way to handle this process is to be honest and direct with your employer. Schedule a time to sit down with them one-on-one and explain to them how you were diagnosed and the details of what you are struggling with. Due to this, you are entitled to reasonable accommodations.

The important thing to note, however, is that in order to receive accommodations, you need to ask! Employers are not required to guess or seek out disabilities in employees. They are required to accommodate those who are honest, however. If your depression or anxiety is making work too overwhelming, changes such as a modified schedule, a less noisy office space, or more help tracking your assignments and workload may help.

We recommend placing your request for reasonable accommodations in writing as well as verbally in order to validate your efforts in the case that problems arise. Many employers understand the necessity to offer these accommodations, so this is a rare occurrence.

Are Employers Required to Follow My Request?

This can result in a mediator being provided to help you reach a more agreeable position with your manager and to help find common ground.

Common Accommodations for Depression and Anxiety

The accommodations that you eventually receive must be directly related to issues caused by your condition(s). Here are some examples of solutions that employees typically receive:

Attendance

Depression and anxiety commonly require regular therapy as an intervention. Additionally, some days, symptoms can be so severe that you may not be able to make it into the office. This can lead to accommodations being made for off-days to be provided in these cases. Remote work systems are also a good way to handle these issues, as they can help enable the employee to be productive on days when making it into the office simply isn’t realistic.

Memory and Organization

Anxiety, in particular, can make it very difficult to retain and organize important information. For this reason, many employers opt to offer these employees with additional tools that can help them stay organized and informed. There are a variety of memory aids available, ranging from white boards to tape recorders to extensive notes. Try to ask your supervisor to provide feedback and details of your work in writing or ask for frequent check-ins and help breaking down big projects into more manageable tasks.

Environment

Conclusion

Dealing with anxiety and depression is no easy task and can make performing under certain conditions nearly impossible. This makes it imperative to be honest about the conditions you suffer from in order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. When dealing with accommodations for anxiety and depression, be honest, direct, and don’t be afraid to ask!

HR Search and Rescue is a full-service HR consulting firm. Their team takes pride in their ability to promote a safe and healthy work environment for employees, managers, HR directors, and executives alike.

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