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You are starting back at your job at the public library after being off for two months with a bad back. Before returning to work your doctor provides you with information about what changes related to your back she recommends your employer make so that your return to work is successful.

The library follows the doctor’s recommendations, but while you were off work, the library introduced a new computer system for checking out books. The head librarian says you need to be trained on the new system before you can start working at the front desk again. You are signed up for the training the first two weeks you are back at work, but you don’t complete it. You find the training so stressful you have panic attacks and are hardly sleeping.

The head librarian assigns you to office tasks until you can complete the training. When you tell her about the problems you are having with anxiety, she asks you to get more information from your doctor about what types of accommodation might help you complete the training. You don’t want to go to your doctor again and think you should be able to work at the front desk even if you haven’t finished the training. 

  • No, at this point in time you are not experiencing discrimination. You are not able to work the front desk without the required training and your anxiety symptoms appear to be connected to a mental disability, which is protected by the Code. Preventing you from working in your preferred task (the front desk) is impacting you negatively. However, if you do not cooperate in the accommodation process, it is not discriminatory for the head librarian to assign you different tasks and require you to complete the training. You must cooperate in the accommodation process. That includes providing your employer with medical information to support your need for an accommodation and details about what adaptations your employer needs to make to accommodate your mental health condition so you can complete the training.

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