How Do I Request a Workplace Accommodation?

The Duty to Accommodate in the US and Canada

Both US and Canadian law require employers to accommodate employees with disabilities and certain other protected needs, up to the point of undue hardship. In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires covered employers (generally those with 15 or more employees) to provide reasonable accommodation to a qualified individual with a disability, and it mandates an 'interactive process' to identify workable options. Title VII similarly requires reasonable accommodation of sincerely held religious practices.

In Canada, the duty to accommodate flows from human rights codes in every province and at the federal level. It covers disability, religion, family status, sex (including pregnancy and breastfeeding), and other protected grounds. The Supreme Court of Canada has described the duty as procedural (the employer must genuinely explore options) and substantive (the accommodation must be reasonable). The threshold to refuse — undue hardship — is high and measured against the employer's whole operation and resources.

How to Make a Request That Triggers the Duty

You do not need to use legal terminology or the word 'accommodation.' What matters is that you communicate a connection between a protected characteristic — like a medical condition — and a need for a change at work. Putting the request in writing is strongly advisable: it creates a record, fixes the date, and formally starts the employer's obligation. Describe your functional limitations and the specific adjustment you need, such as a modified schedule, assistive equipment, remote work, or reassignment of non-essential duties.

Supporting medical information is usually required, but employers are generally entitled only to your restrictions and functional limitations — not your full diagnosis or clinical records. Once you request, the employer must engage in a good-faith, individualized dialogue. It cannot demand you propose the single perfect solution; the obligation to canvass options is shared, and the employer often bears the greater burden because it controls the workplace.

When the Employer Says No

An employer may only refuse an accommodation if it can prove undue hardship — real, evidence-based cost, health, or safety impact, not mere inconvenience or minor expense. Ignoring a request, stalling, or refusing without exploring options can itself be a violation. If you are disciplined or fired for requesting accommodation, that may also be unlawful reprisal, which is separately actionable.

If informal resolution fails, employees have enforcement options. In the US, you can file a charge with the EEOC (generally within 180 days, or 300 in deferral states) before suing. In Canada, you can file a human rights complaint with your provincial tribunal (often within one year). Because these deadlines are firm and shorter than ordinary lawsuit periods, get advice early if the employer resists.

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