3. Get medical evidence

It's a good idea to give your employer information that supports your request for accommodation. Usually, this means getting a letter from a doctor.

You don't have to tell your employer what your disability is or what your diagnosis is. But your employer needs to know:

• that you have a disability
• how it affects your ability to do the essential duties of your job
• what you need your employer to do

If your employer wants you to get more information from your doctor, ask them to put their questions in writing.

Your employer is not allowed to ask for information that reveals your diagnosis. For example, they can't ask what medication you take. But they can ask if your doctor thinks there are specific accommodations that you need because of side effects of medication that you have to take.

Some employers ask the worker to get a report from a different doctor. This is called an “independent medical examination”. They're not supposed to ask for this:

• as a way of questioning whether you need accommodation
• to avoid giving you accommodation

They should ask for this only if they need another medical opinion to help figure out what accommodation you need.

If your employer asks for a doctor's letter, they should pay any fees the doctor charges for it.

You may want to get advice about asking your employer for accommodation. You can contact the Human Rights Legal Support Centre for free legal advice and information. For example, they can help you decide:

• what to ask your doctor for
• what to do if your employer asks for more information or another medical exam