Reasonable accommodation

What kinds of accommodation are people with a mental illness likely to need?

Accommodations are based on the unique needs of an individual employee, in his or her particular position, as well as on the resources available to the employer. There is no "one size-fits-all" solution. In some instances, one work unit will be unable to provide the same type of accommodation as another. In most cases, accommodations for a mental disability are inexpensive and involve workplace flexibility rather than capital expenditures.

Common accommodations for people with a mental disability include the following:

Flexible scheduling

• Flexibility in the start or end of working hours to accommodate effects of medication or for medical appointments
• Part-time or split shifts
• More frequent breaks
• Graduated return to work if the employee is on sick leave

 Changes in supervision

• Modifying the way instructions and feedback are given. For example, written instructions may help an employee focus on tasks.
• Having brief weekly meetings (10 minutes or so) between the supervisor and employee may help to deal with problems before they become serious. Make these a time to check on how the employee is doing and to see if they feel the accommodation is allowing them to succeed at work.

Changes in training

• Allowing extra time to learn tasks
• Allowing the person to attend training courses that are individualized

Modifying job duties

• Assigning minor tasks to other employees. For example, if an employee requires accommodation for obsessive-compulsive disorder and grows anxious if they are exposed to germs, you might assign another worker to take their shift cleaning the kitchen if this is not an essential part of their job.
• Exchanging tasks with other employees that maintain the balance of work while capitalizing on the strengths of each worker. An example might be one employee taking on more of the telephone calls while another takes on more of the correspondence.

While we strongly recommend supporting your employee to come up with the particular accommodation that will be allow them to do their job successfully, what follows are suggestions shared by successful employees who also have mental illnesses. They are categorized by the particular challenge the employee may be experiencing:

If the challenge is maintaining stamina:

• Vary tasks throughout the day
• Provide more opportunities to learn new responsibilities
• Allow a self-paced workload
• Supportive employment services or work coach
• Do some or all of the work from home
• Job-sharing
• Change to part-time work
• Provide back up for regular breaks
• Take more frequent breaks
• Take longer breaks

If the challenge is concentration:

• Remove all but essential functions of job
• Play soothing music
• Break large tasks into a series of smaller tasks
• Take a break when concentration declines
• Increase natural lighting in your work area

If the challenge is organization and/or deadlines:

• Use an electronic organizer - to keep track of to-do list and mark off items as completed
• Break large tasks into a series of smaller tasks
• Ask for regular reminders from your supervisor
• Arrange regular meetings for follow-up and to set priorities

If the challenge is memory:

• Use any recording devices (e.g. digital recorder) to keep track of information discussed at a meeting
• Write down important or complicated issues
• Ask for instructions in writing
• Ask for assignments in writing
• Ask for additional training time

If the challenge is working relationships:

• Outline clear expectations
• Define what constitutes good working relationships
• Have regular meetings to review and address issues
• Ask for open and honest feedback in a prompt manner
• Develop strategies to deal with problems before they arise
• Look at possible or previous issues - consider a way to address for each party
• Ask for correspondence in writing
• Ask for clear expectations and the clear consequences for not meeting them
• Ask for written work agreements
• Develop a procedure to evaluate the effectiveness of each accommodation
• Think about how to measure effectiveness - i.e. deadlines met, no outbursts, etc.
• Explain to employees (or have your supervisor explain) about the accommodation
• Allow the option of not attending work related social functions

If the challenge is handling stress and emotions:

• Outline clear expectations
• Seek help from counsellors or Employee Assistance Program
• Ask employer to provide praise and positive reinforcement
• Allow time off to attend counselling sessions or medical appointments
• Allow phone calls to doctors or others to gain necessary support during the workday
• Provide awareness training for employees on mental illness

If the challenge is dealing with change:

• Let your employer/supervisor know that you will feel anxious when a change is introduced
• Ask to be informed in advance of changes, if possible, so that you can prepare yourself psychologically
• Ask to maintain communication with a previous supervisor to ensure effective transition
• Ask for regular meetings to discuss work-related problems with your supervisor

As a supervisor, you need to find out what it is that you do that is considered supportive to the employee and what it is that you do that may inadvertently make their symptoms worse.

An understanding of phrases or actions that should be avoided and processes or interactions that are helpful, can go a long way to increasing both your own comfort level and the success of the employee's return to productivity.