3. Get medical evidence - Steps to Justice

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

Getting a medical note

You do not have to tell your employer what your 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 key 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 more information than they need to understand your accommodation. For example, they cannot ask for your diagnosis or what medication you take.

Your employer can ask if there are accommodations that you need because of the side effects of medication you must take.

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

Report from a different doctor

Some employers ask the worker to get a report from a different doctor than your usual doctor. This is called an “independent medical examination”.

Your employer should not ask for this:

as a way of questioning if 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.

Get legal help

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