You are ready to return after an injury, but your doctor has placed limits on what you can do. Then your employer says you cannot come back until you are “100% healed.” That one-size-fits-all rule may conflict with Washington disability law.
If you can do the main duties of your job with a reasonable accommodation, your employer may need to consider changes instead of requiring a full recovery.
How accommodations can help you return to work
Under the Washington Law Against Discrimination, an impairment may qualify for reasonable accommodation if it substantially limits your ability to do your job. It may also qualify if you tell your employer about it and medical documentation shows that working without an accommodation would likely make the impairment substantially limiting. You and your employer may then take part in the interactive process. This means discussing your work limits and changes that could help you do your job.
Depending on your job and medical restrictions, accommodations may include changes to your job duties and schedules, such as:
- Adjusting your work hours for medical appointments or physical therapy
- Providing equipment that reduces physical strain
- Adjusting job duties that are not essential
An employer does not have to remove an essential job function, or a fundamental duty of your position. It also does not require an accommodation that would cause undue hardship. This means the change would be unreasonably difficult or costly based on the company’s size and resources.
What to do when you have medical restrictions
To consider your request, your employer generally needs enough information to understand how your condition affects your work. A health care provider may list limits on lifting, standing or movement without sharing your full medical history.
Keeping copies of your medical restrictions, accommodation requests and your company’s responses can help you track what happened during the process. You can also explain which changes may help you keep doing the main duties of your job.
When a workplace injury caused your restrictions
If your limits came from an on-the-job injury, Washington’s Stay at Work program may also apply. It allows qualifying State Fund employers to receive wage and expense reimbursements for approved light-duty work. This workers’ compensation program is separate from disability discrimination law.
When a return-to-work decision deserves closer review
Calling something a company policy does not automatically mean the decision follows the law. What matters is how your employer applied the policy to you. Legal guidance can help you determine whether a return-to-work rule reflects the actual demands of your job or conflicts with Washington disability protections.