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Reasonable Accommodations

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LittleBigFoot

Policy Enforcement
For the United States:

are they hard to get?

are more frequent breaks (say like 10 minutes every hour and a half?) unreasonable?

how do you ask for them?

do employers usually have an issue with doing them?

does it change how your employer treats you (good or bad) when they learn you’re mentally ill?
 
The answer is a big old "it depends."

If you work for a very small company, they don't have to give you any accommodations at all. Companies that do have to give accommodations may vary wildly in the types and amounts of accommodations they will give.

Some employers will treat you much worse if they find out about any diagnoses you have. Others won't.

The only way to find out is to ask. And while you will need to tell them your diagnosis, you don't have to tell them why you have that diagnosis.
 
are they hard to get?
Agee with the above. It totally depends on your employer.
do employers usually have an issue with doing them?
Mine has a policy or two written up on this. And they are very accommodating.
does it change how your employer treats you (good or bad) when they learn you’re mentally ill?
I never tell them I'm "mentally ill." (that term is not in my vocabulary anymore) In my experience, they absolutely look at and treat you differently if they know (I've been let go twice because an employer found out I had DID). So, if you can come up with a way to soften the reason you need an extra break (or make something up), it would probably be better.
 
one thing that you can do is check out the job accommodation network askjan.org, it can be very helpful for both employees and employers in determining what are reasonable accommodations based upon different disabilities. It will also allow you to look at the accommodation and work with your care givers and see if they can provide you with a letter requesting an accommodation that does not use a diagnosis that is frequently discriminated against but is also valid for you. Worth a look.
 
There is this little thing called the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) that prohibits discrimination. This doesn't mean all employers will follow this. I work for a company that has about 3K employees. Our department recently interviewed a new candidate and put an offer to hire them. HR called back saying this person needs accommodations, literally the same you mentioned, 10 minute breaks hour. We were told that we cannot refuse to hire him because of this. Our HR cannot tell us the reason for the accommodation or if it's a permanent thing. I am fortunate that our department director is not bothered by this.

The reality of all of this is that it is illegal to discriminate, but that doesn't always prevent the discrimination from happening.

As far as how to ask for them, our future employee has a note from his doctor.
 
We were told that we cannot refuse to hire him because of this. Our HR cannot tell us the reason for the accommodation or if it's a permanent thing
Like you said above, just because they are not supposed to discriminate, doesn't mean they won't.

In the two companies I worked for before this one, they'd find another reason to get rid of someone.

I hope this employee is able to do and keep his new job!
 
Different industries have different norms, also. What’s totally reasonable in FieldA, is going to be completely unreasonable in FieldB, but in FieldC it’s not an accomodation at all… it’s how business is done.

In my family we were taught to look for FieldC. Minimize your weaknesses, or turn them into strengths.
 
Many companies have a written policy on breaks and lunch etc. If there are two 15 minute breaks allowed, see if they will do three 10 minute breaks. Same amount of time, just a different schedule. They may also have made a similar accommodation in the past and if so they have to follow precedence previously set. It all will depend on the company, but you don't know until you ask.
 
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