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If an employee has a disability (a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity), you must consider a medical accommodation for the employee. But it’s important to have enough information to know whether her condition qualifies as a disability. When should you request documentation to support the need for medical accommodations in the workplace? Consider the following example:
One of your employees has asked for an accommodation. Her desk currently faces a wall, and she has asked to move, claiming that for medical reasons she needs to be able to see at a farther distance whenever she looks up.
Is it appropriate to ask for medical documentation before considering her request? In this case, because you do not have enough information to know if her condition is a disability, then it is appropriate to ask for a doctor’s note.
Explain to the employee that you are willing to consider the workplace accommodation if her treating physician completes and returns an ADA Medical Inquiry Form. This form substantiates an employee’s impairment and need for accommodation. Tell the employee that having her doctor complete the form is completely optional, but that the company needs a completed form in order to consider a workplace accommodation. We recommend giving the employee at least two weeks to return the form.
If the employee returns the form, the next step would be to discuss with her what reasonable accommodations (such as moving her desk) could be made without putting an undue burden on the company.
For more information on how GTM’s HR Support Center helps clients handle HR issues like this one, please contact us at (518) 373-4111.
