Professional
ILLUSTRATION / VICTOR GAD
“Employers need to let employees
know that they really want to accommodate people,” Dagit says. “And
they need to know that with most
disabilities, the more that you are able
to accommodate a person’s desire to
work flexibly, the more likely they’ll
get well and get back to work faster.”
Knowing there are legal protections that prevent employers from
arbitrarily firing an employee because
of an illness or medical condition can
help employees feel more secure in
disclosing medical problems.
An employee may not have to
fully disclose a disability or illness,
but he or she may want to talk
with the human-resources department to request a reasonable
accommodation to continue to
perform the job satisfactorily.
Dagit advises employees that the
direct approach is best. “What is
important for the employee to do is
try not to talk through their physicians or any other outside third
party,” Dagit says. “Have a conversation with a manager or the HR person to explain the situation. Propose
what they think is the best solution
and come up with something that
makes sense for them on a personal
level and for the business.”
There are legal protections for
employees diagnosed with illnesses
and/or disabilities. The Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides protection from discriminatory practices for people who work for
companies or organizations with 15
or more employees.
The ADA requires employers to
provide reasonable accommodations
to employees or potential employees
with disabilities, as long as the
accommodation does not create a
significant financial burden. The
ADA allows a worker undergoing
