You're thinking about requesting an accommodation.

As soon as you need it. There is no waiting period. No minimum tenure. No probationary exception. If you need an accommodation to do your job, you can ask on day one. You can ask before you start. You can ask before you interview. You don't even have to use the word "accommodation" or any other special language. Any request for a change connected to a medical condition counts.

Of course, risk exists and timing does matter. There are pros and cons to asking earlier versus asking later. What is best for you depends on your situation, your goals, your needs, and your values.

Whatever removes the barrier between you and your work. Whatever helps you effectively do your job.

There are no "pre-approved" lists you have to stick to. It might be denied, but if you know it works for you, ask for it.

Yes, it must be "reasonable." But if it is reasonable on its face, it is reasonable. What matters most is whether it causes undue hardship. And that is up to your employer to prove. Even if it truly does cause undue hardship, you still have a right to effective accommodation, so they have a responsibility to explore other options. You ask for what you need. If they deny it, we'll deal with that when it comes.

If you're not sure what to ask for, the Accommodation Finder matches your situation to proven solutions.

Before requesting an accommodation, you have no obligation to disclose anything. You can keep your disability entirely private for as long as you choose.

If your disability is apparent: You don't need to disclose much beyond what you need and that it's tied to a disability or medical need. Tying the change to a disability need is what makes it an accommodation request versus a general preference. Employers are not permitted to ask for medical documentation if the disability and the need for accommodation are both apparent. If they do, you can push back.

Read: Can My Employer Ask for Medical Documentation When My Disability Is Obvious?

If your disability is not apparent: The request can be exactly the same, but it may be helpful to give a bit more context and to proactively include a medical note.

When you request an accommodation, you need to disclose:

• That you have a disability (not your specific diagnosis)
• The limitation it creates at work
• What accommodation you're requesting

You do not have to share:

• Your diagnosis
• Your medical records
• Details about unrelated conditions
• Your treatment plan or medications

If your disability is not apparent, your employer can ask for documentation from a medical provider, but only to confirm two things: that you have a disability, and that the accommodation is connected to it. If your disability and need for accommodation are obvious or previously known, your employer is generally not permitted to ask for medical information.

Doctors aren't experts in the accommodation process. They don't know what information to give or withhold, or how to phrase things in ways employers won't misinterpret or misrepresent. In over five years on both sides of this process, there hasn't been a single situation where signing a release was beneficial.

These are legal obligations, not generosity.*

• The right to reasonable accommodations that remove barriers in the workplace and enable you to complete essential job functions or participate equally.
• The right to the interactive process, where you and your employer work together to identify the best reasonable accommodation for your specific situation.
• The right to privacy. Only those who need to know of the existence of your disability should know. Information about your disability should be kept private from all others.
• The right to timely consideration. Your accommodation request must be considered and accommodation implemented in a timely manner.
• The right to equal opportunity. The same opportunity to apply, interview, be employed, promoted, and participate in workplace activities as someone without a disability.
• The right to be free from retaliation. Your employer cannot take adverse action against you for requesting an accommodation.

*Meeting the bare minimum of the law is not "generosity." It is their legal responsibility.

Despite how they may make it seem, the burden is on them, not you. You have rights. They have responsibilities.

When you make a request, your employer is required to:

• Engage in the interactive process after receiving an accommodation request or identifying an apparent disability. This means they cannot just say "no."
• Provide reasonable accommodation so employees with disabilities have the same opportunities in hiring, promotion, and day-to-day work.
• Consider alternative accommodations if a requested accommodation causes an undue hardship.
• Offer an opportunity to change positions if effective reasonable accommodations in the current position cannot be found.
• Provide effective accommodations as long as they do not cause undue hardship.
• Keep related conversations and documentation private.
• Not discriminate based on a disability or perceived disability.
• Not retaliate after an employee requests an accommodation.

Your employer cannot:

• Ask general questions about disability in an interview, including whether you have one.
• Ask for documentation when a disability and need for accommodation is obvious.
• Ask for medical documentation that is not related to your request.
• Deny an accommodation request without engaging in the interactive process.

The difference between a request that gets approved and one that gets ignored often comes down to how it's framed. (This isn't how it should be. But you aren't reading this because employers behave how they should.)

The basics:

• Say what you need. Be specific. If you don't know what you need, be specific about the barriers you are experiencing.
• Connect your request to a medical need. (This is the only must. It is what makes your request an accommodation request.)
• Connect your request to a barrier at work where relevant.
• Put your request in writing (even after a verbal conversation).
• Emphasize the barrier, not the diagnosis.

Don't:

• Over-explain your diagnosis or symptoms
• Apologize for asking
• Use deficit-focused language (e.g., instead of "I can't focus," say "I am much more effective when I have a quiet environment")
• Give your employer permission to say no

Frame the barrier, not the diagnosis:

Examples of how to make the request:

• "Due to a medical condition, I need a quieter workspace to maintain focus. I'm requesting a private office or noise-canceling accommodation."
• "I have a medical condition that affects my stamina. I'm requesting the ability to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day."
• "Due to a medical need, I require a modified schedule to attend treatment appointments. I'm requesting a flexible start time two days per week."

Strengthen your request.

• Describe that you have a disability without giving your diagnosis. Your diagnosis often becomes a distraction. Especially diagnoses with diverse presentations, higher stigma, or that your employer hasn't heard of. What matters is the limitation, the major life activities it impacts, and the accommodation you need. Once you've established the disability, keep the focus on solutions. If they try to dig into the specifics of your condition, point it back to what you need. That's how you stay in control of the conversation.
• Put it in writing. Even if you've had a verbal conversation, follow up with an email. Documentation protects you. It also prevents "I didn't realize that was a formal request."
• Be proactive with documentation. A solid doctor's note that answers their allowed questions before they ask puts you in control of the narrative. They can't ask for what they already have.

Read: Why You Shouldn't Disclose Your Diagnosis | What to Include in a Doctor's Note

A template to start from:

• Don't make it a bigger deal than it needs to be. Treat it like asking for no tomatoes on your sandwich. The more matter-of-fact you are, the more likely they are to respond in kind. Confidence is contagious. So is anxiety.
• At smaller companies, how you ask matters more. Larger companies often have defined processes through separate teams. Smaller companies may not have a process at all, which means your framing sets the tone for everything that follows.
• Document everything from the start. Your request. Their response. Every conversation. Side comments. Timelines. If things go well, you'll never need it. If things go wrong, you'll be glad you have it.
• Know that "no" is not the end. A denial opens the next phase of the interactive process. Your employer must consider alternatives. If they don't, that's a violation.
• You don't need to do this alone. ernesty exists for exactly this. The articles cover what you need to know. The tools help you act on it. The app builds your request for you.