The Mental Health Provider's Role in a Client's Request for a Reasonable Accommodation at Work

2. What Is a Reasonable Accommodation?

A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done at work that enables an individual to do a job, apply for a job, or enjoy equal access to a job's benefits and privileges. Common reasonable accommodations include altered break and work schedules (e.g., scheduling work around medical appointments), time off for treatment, changes in supervisory methods (e.g., providing written instructions, or breaking tasks into smaller parts), eliminating a non-essential (or marginal) job function that someone cannot perform because of a disability, and telework. Where an employee has been working successfully in a job but can no longer do so because of a disability, the ADA also may require reassignment to a vacant position that the employee can perform. These are just examples; employees are free to request, and employers are free to suggest, other modifications or changes.