Recent News & Blog / An Employee Wants to Work Remotely for Health Reasons—Do I Have to Say Yes?
April 7, 2026
Employees are increasingly asking to work remotely for health-related reasons, and many employers are unsure how to respond. While remote work can be a reasonable accommodation, it is not automatic and not required in every situation. Knowing how to assess these requests can help you support your employees while still protecting your organization.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and many state laws, employers must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities, unless doing so would cause undue hardship. The law does not require you to automatically approve remote work, but you must engage in an interactive process to evaluate the request. Remote work is just one possible accommodation, not a guaranteed one.
How to evaluate a remote work request
When an employee asks to work from home for medical reasons, you should walk through a few essential steps to evaluate the request fairly and legally.
- Recognize the Request: Employees do not have to use legal language. For example, “My condition makes commuting difficult.” should trigger the accommodation process. Acknowledge the request promptly and thank the employee for raising it.
- Clarify the Medical Need: You may request medical documentation to understand whether the employee has a covered disability, if they have any limitations, how long the accommodation is needed, and whether working remotely would address those limitations. You should not ask for diagnosis details or unrelated medical history. Keep all information confidential and separate from personnel files.
- Focus on Essential Job Functions: Ask yourself – What tasks are essential to this role? Do those tasks require in-person presence? Has this job ever been done remotely, successful or unsuccessfully? Essential job functions are the core duties of a position and the fundamental responsibilities that cannot be removed without changing the nature of the job. Past remote arrangements matter, but they don’t automatically prove remote work is required indefinitely.
- Consider Alternatives: Remote work is not the only accommodation option. Other possibilities may include a hybrid schedule, modified hours, temporary remote work during recovery or treatment, changes to workspace/equipment, and reassignment of marginal (nonessential) duties. The goal is effective accommodation, not necessarily the employee’s preferred one.
- Evaluate Under Hardship: You may deny remote work if it causes significant operational disruption, excessive cost relative to your business size, security or confidentiality risks, or reduced service or quality. The impact matters, but simply not liking remote work is not a valid reason.
- Communicate Clearly and Document the Decision: Whether you approve, modify, or deny the request, explain your reasoning in plain language and confirm the decision in writing. Specify expectations, duration, and review points if approved. If the decision is made to deny the request, explain why the job must be performed on-site and what alternative accommodations were considered or offered.
Creating a fair and consistent approach
Handling remote work requests thoughtfully benefits both the employer and the employee. By engaging in open dialogue, focusing on what the job truly requires, and remaining flexible where possible, employers can create solutions that support employee health without compromising business needs. A consistent, well‑documented approach helps ensure fairness, compliance, and trust on both sides.
How SEK can support your process
SEK can provide support by guiding you through the accommodation process, ensuring compliance with disability laws, and supplying practical tools such as accommodation request forms, medical inquiry forms, and approval/denial letters.
If you have questions about this article, contact Laura Stover, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, Director of HR Advisory Services, by emailing lstover@sek.com or completing the contact form below.
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