The Stressed-Out Worker and the Disability Interactive Process

By Rachel Shaw, JD

CEO and Principal
Shaw HR Consulting

“I’m seriously stressed over my workload, and I have not been able to eat or sleep in weeks.” “My doctor told me that I can’t have stress at work, and this is absolutely stressful to me.”

Are these statements verbal triggers that we need to enter into the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) interactive process? The simple answer is “Yes.”

The difficulty with managing these requests is that the word stress often elicits a sarcastic response, and it’s easy to see why, as the word is widely overused in our culture. Life is stressful for everyone. Without it, some of us wouldn’t complete a project, go to the gym, or wake up on time for work. But what is motivating for some can be debilitating for others, and understanding how to determine where a legitimate accommodation request or need occurs is vital for human resource practitioners to understand.

To start, it’s important to understand when you are triggered to begin the disability interactive process. This occurs under three scenarios:

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