For employees with autoimmune disorders like Graves disease, managing life, work, and their condition is a constant and often stressful juggling act.
Although the signs of their condition may not be visible to others, individuals with Graves disease frequently grapple with severe, painful symptoms that can make office work challenging.
Fortunately, federal disability law gives employees who suffer from this and other autoimmune disorders options for getting support.
This blog post will cover the rights and benefits available for federal employees with Graves disease. Our federal reasonable accommodation lawyers will discuss who qualifies for these benefits, examples of Graves disease reasonable accommodations for federal employees, and how to request them.
For assistance, please fill out our online form or call (800) 801-0598 today.
Is Graves Disease a Disability Under ADA?
Yes. Graves disease can qualify as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Graves disease can affect several organs and essential bodily functions as an autoimmune disorder.
Individuals with Graves disease often experience the following symptoms:
- Nervousness and irritability,
- Tremor in hands,
- Heat sensitivity,
- Gastrointestinal distress,
- Fatigue,
- Vision problems,
- Muscle weakness, and
- Irregular heartbeat.
When these symptoms are severe enough to interfere with one or more major life activities, an individual is considered to have a disability under the ADA. Under the ADA, a disability is any physical or mental impairment substantially limiting one or more major life activities, such as seeing, standing, walking, and thinking.
The ADA protects most private employees with qualifying disabilities from discrimination and grants them the right to request reasonable accommodations in the workplace. Federal employees receive these same protections from a different law: the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The Rehabilitation Act has the same standards, eligibility requirements, and benefits as the ADA. Unlike the ADA, it applies to all federal employees, no matter the size of their employer.
What Are Reasonable Accommodations for Graves Disease at Work?
A reasonable accommodation is any change an employer makes to the working environment to help employees perform their duties despite their disability. Graves disease work accommodations can take many forms depending on your job and physical and mental limitations.
Here are some examples of workplace accommodations for Graves disease based on common limitations employees suffer:
- Tremors—weighted pens, adaptive keyboards, speech recognition software, mouse alternatives;
- Fatigue—anti-fatigue mats, stand-lean stools, flexible work hours;
- Gastrointestinal issues—additional unpaid bathroom breaks;
- Heat sensitivity—access to an office with a window, personal fan, change in uniform; and
- Vision problems—adjustable lighting, screen magnification tools, ergonomic alterations to workstation, large print materials.
Remote work may also be a reasonable accommodation when an employee’s symptoms are severe and unpredictable. The ability to work from home could help an employee manage the physical and gastrointestinal limitations of Graves disease with reduced disruption to the collective workflow.
Employees with reduced immunity due to medication used to treat their disease can also benefit significantly from a remote work option. Working from home can help these vulnerable employees avoid exposure to illness and infection from working in an office.
How Do I Get Accommodations for Graves Disease in the Workplace?
Requesting Graves disease accommodations can be as simple as having a conversation with your boss. Under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act, getting disability accommodations is an informal and interactive process between employees and employers. You don’t have to fill out special forms or use the phrase “reasonable accommodation.”
However, there are some steps employees can take to help the process run smoothly and improve their chances of receiving their desired accommodation:
- Write it up. Disability accommodation requests can be verbal, but it’s in your best interest to put it in writing. A written request ensures you have documentation of the process and timeline.
- Be detailed. Include as many relevant details as you can about your condition. Describe your limitations and how they affect your ability to perform specific aspects of your job.
- Name your preferred accommodations. Reflect on your limitations ahead of time and research options for potential accommodations. When writing your request, include specific details about the accommodations you want and why they’d help you.
- Get medical documentation. Your employer might ask for verification from a medical professional while considering your request. Be ready with your doctor’s signed and dated letter confirming your limitations.
Importantly, federal disability law doesn’t guarantee employees their first-choice accommodation request. If a desired accommodation poses an undue financial or administrative hardship to an employer, they’re not required to grant it. Other requests might not be feasible due to the nature of an employee’s job duties.
By law, your employer must explain why they’re refusing a specific accommodation request by law. If your first-choice accommodation isn’t feasible, they must continue working with you to find an alternate adjustment to meet your needs.
Fighting for the Rights of Federal Employees for Decades
If your employer ignores or repeatedly refuses your requests for the accommodations you need, they risk violating federal law. At Pines Federal, our attorneys have six combined decades of experience helping government workers navigate their rights under federal disability law.
If you have questions or concerns about Graves disease reasonable accommodations for federal employees, contact our office online or call (800) 801-0598 today to learn more about how our advocates can help you.