ADA and restroom breaks

correll dcm

Is frequent restroom breaks(once each hour) considered as a disability? This employee is the Receptionist and Telephone Operator. Has anyone had to accommodate this and how?

Margaret Morford

I think you need to get some medical documentation if she is requesting a reasonable accomodation, which she can only get under ADA. Is she suffering from something that rises to the point of being a disability? So far, all you have are symptoms.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]

Don D

Anything from blood pressure medication to too much watermelon can cause one to go to the restroom every hour. I agree with Margaret that you need more information if an accommodation has been requested. Don't assume anything if all you have is a person visiting the room down the hall. The issue of a receptionist being up and down from her/his desk all day long is a tough one indeed and we all probably have it. As far as humanly possible, I go along with it. We tend to want to 'tie' these employees to their desk because they are the company octopus. They have the hardest job in the organization.