Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience.
Q:
I have a disability from a back injury sustained while serving in Iraq. I have been working at an agency for 9 months with a long commute. Due to increased pain, my doctor raised the level of pain medication and I can no longer make the drive to work. I applied for reasonable accommodation to telework, but my request was denied. I am filing an appeal. What are my options and could they fire me?
A:
Telework can be denied if it is essential to your job that you be in the office. Commuting and your residence location are personal options that are unrelated to your work. While your agency does not have an obligation to accommodate your disabilities by granting you full-time telecommuting, if you must be in the office, perhaps a compromise of telecommuting two to three days a week could be sufficient to let you get into the office and alleviate your back pain.
Bill Bransford is managing partner of Shaw Bransford & Roth PC.
Disclaimer: Ask a Lawyer publishes information on this website for informational purposes only. Information on this website is intended – but not promised, guaranteed, or warranted – to reflect correct, complete and current developments. In addition, the contents of the website do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the attorney. Information from this website is not intended to be used as a substitute for specific legal advice, nor should you consider it as such. You should not act, or refrain from acting, based on information on this website without seeking specific legal advice about your particular circumstances. No attorney-client relationship between you and Ask a Lawyer’s author is created by the transmission of information to or from this site.
