Depression and anxiety are common reasons why employees request workplace accommodations, and both can qualify for protection under the ADA.
Neither condition qualifies from only a self-report; the employer can ask for documentation, typically a diagnosis, before the ADA obligation applies. Depression is on the EEOC’s list of conditions that “should easily qualify” as significantly limiting. Anxiety isn’t on the list, so it has to meet the same standard on a case-by-case basis. Courts have generally upheld it in cases like social anxiety disorder.
This guide covers workplace accommodations for depression, anxiety, and PTSD. For overlapping conditions, see autism and ADHD.
What are ADA Accommodations for Depression?
Depression is a medical condition and not a character flaw or failing.
It can affect life activities like concentration, energy, and the ability to meet performance standards at a workplace.
Here are 10 ADA accommodations for depression HR should be aware of.
Challenge | Accommodations |
1. Low energy and fatigue | Flexible schedule or later start time. |
2. Concentration and distraction | Quiet workspace, partition, or white noise. |
3. Missed tasks and deadlines | Frequent reminders of tasks and due dates. |
4. Attending treatment | Flexible time off for therapist or doctor’s appointments. |
5. Medication side effects or timing | Flexible schedule for medication breaks. |
6. Symptom management | Short, frequent breaks. |
7. Sustaining a full workload | Removing minor or non-essential tasks from core duties. |
8. Reduced motivation and engagement | Praise and recognition from assigned manager or supervisor. |
9. Commute stress | Telework or remote work options provided. |
10. Unable to perform core duties despite support | Reassignment to a different role if that is available. |
If you receive such a request, you should remember that accommodations are decided case by case; not all employees with depression require an accommodation, and many only need one or two.
How do you Accommodate an Employee with Anxiety?
An employee saying they feel anxious doesn’t mean it qualifies under the ADA.
What employers need to verify is whether the condition significantly restricts them compared to others and whether it’s chronic or a temporary problem.
The EEOC illustrates this with two examples of employees struggling to concentrate:
- One attributed to depression was found to only be mildly affected
- Another attributed to a documented anxiety disorder was found to be a disability.
Here are 10 ways to accommodate an employee with anxiety.
Challenge | Accommodations |
1. Panic or acute symptoms | Short breaks to practice mindfulness techniques or call a support person. |
2. Interpersonal contact triggers stress | Relocating the desk or workspace away from triggers. |
3. Work involving phone calls causing distress | Switching from phone calls to emails or written communication. |
4. Difficulty in group or public settings | Excused from high-stress meetings, attending via phone or written follow-up. |
5. Symptom fluctuation | Modified work duties during lower-symptom hours. |
6. Attending treatment | Leave or flexible work hours for medical appointments. |
7. Severe or safety-related anxiety | Support or service animal at work. |
8. New systems or process changes causing distress | Extra training before transitions. |
9. Sustained exposure to a specific trigger | Temporary reassignment away from trigger task or location. |
10. Ongoing regulation and support | Permission to have a support person reachable during work hours. |
An employee only needs to mention their medical problem to begin the request process. If the needs aren’t obvious, you as an employer can request documentation.
What Accommodations Apply to PTSD at Work?
PTSD develops after exposure to a traumatic event, and its workplace triggers usually include a smell, the sound of footsteps, or a crowded room.
The Job Accommodation Network states that not all employees with PTSD need accommodations but some may need many; it really depends case by case.
Its effects at work are normally grouped around hypervigilance, flashbacks and specific triggers, avoidance, concentration and memory, and sleep.
Here are 7 accommodations that apply to PTSD at work.
Challenge | Accommodations |
1. Sensory triggers like sounds or smells trigger flashbacks | Reduce exposure with tools like headphones or moving person away from the source. |
2. Hypervigilance or startled by unexpected approach | Seating that faces the entrance. |
3. Difficulty concentrating or remembering tasks | A written task list at the start of work. |
4. Panic or acute stress | A private space to practice mindfulness techniques with breaks. |
5. Avoidance of crowds or unpredictable settings | A quiet workspace or private office. |
6. Sleep-related fatigue | A flexible or adjusted schedule. |
7. Emotional reactivity to feedback or criticism | Feedback delivered privately or in writing rather than publicly or confrontationally. |
Manage Medical Accommodations with Sodales
Accommodations for depression, anxiety and PTSD often require active monitoring.
Sodales’ workplace accommodation software keeps the accommodation visible to a manager and restricts medical documentation to whoever’s authorized to see it. Each case has a review date so employers can close an accommodation that’s no longer applicable.
