Remote work means doing all or part of your job from home. It is also called working from home, telework, or telecommuting.

Maybe. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a law that protects workers with disabilities. The ADA says employers must give reasonable help, called “accommodations,” to employees with known disabilities in certain situations. Working from home might be a reasonable accommodation under the ADA.

To find this out, think about these questions:

• Can you do all the important parts of your job from home?
• Can you set up a home workspace? Do you need special equipment or software?
• Are there parts of your job that would be hard to do from home?
• Does your job description say you need to be at the workplace?
• Have you worked from home before? Did it go well?
• Do other people in similar jobs at your company work from home?
• Does your workplace already have a remote work policy that could help support your ask?
• Are there other ways your employer could help you do your job besides remote work? If another option works just as well, your employer may choose that instead.
  • For example, if you ask to work from home because your medication makes you drowsy in the morning, your employer might offer to let you start work later instead. That could be a valid solution under the ADA, if it helps you do your job.

Each ask is different. Some employees need to work from home every day, always or just for a short time. Others may only need to remote work one or two days a week or just when their symptoms flare up. Your request should match what you need because of your disability.

Every job is different. Many courts have recently ruled against employees who wanted to work remotely as an accommodation. Judges often say that some jobs need you to be at the workplace—especially if the job involves teamwork, working with clients, or supervising others. Still, some courts have supported remote work as a reasonable accommodation. Because the outcomes vary, it is important to be thoughtful and flexible when you ask to work remotely.

Before you ask:

• Think through the questions listed earlier to decide if remote work is reasonable for your job.
• Make a plan showing how you can do your job well from home. There is a worksheet at the end of this Fact Sheet to help you.

When you ask:

• Tell your supervisor or HR that you need a change at work because of your medical condition.
• Ask in writing. Use this sentence: “I am requesting a reasonable accommodation under the ADA.” Keep a copy. Some jobs will want you to use their form to make this ask. You should use your job’s form if it has one.
• Say you have thought about how to make this work and ask to go over your plan.
• Be ready to share medical information that explains your disability and how remote work would help you do your job.

After you ask:

• Take part in the process honestly and cooperatively. This is called the “interactive process.” You and your employer should talk about your ask and other possible solutions.
• Be open to different options, like how often you might work from home.
• If your employer says no to remote work, try to be flexible and think about other ways they could help you do your job.

Yes. You might be able to move to a different position as a reasonable accommodation. See our fact sheet on changing positions as a reasonable accommodation to learn more.

Please see our Fact Sheet about asking for a reasonable accommodation to learn more.

Visit the EEOC’s website: EEOC Guidance on Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation