Los Angeles Employment Lawyer Blog

Anxiety disorders are medical disorders that can either manifest by themselves or with other medical disabilities. You may experience an anxiety disorder as part of your dealing with depression, or you may have recently been diagnosed for an anxiety disorder without other symptoms. Anxiety disorders can create panic attacks, loss of motivation or ability to focus, inability to leave your house in the morning and getting to work late, or even locking yourself in the bathroom for extended periods of time. Many anxiety disorders are treatable with medication, and with talk therapy or other combinations of treatment.

Anxiety disorders can make working difficult. Sometimes symptoms may overwhelm you and you are ashamed to tell your boss what is happening. However, if you do not tell your boss about your disorder, they may just assume you are slacking off at work, or that you don’t care. If you have an anxiety disorder, there are Federal employment laws and California State laws that protect you in the workplace. You must begin by sharing your diagnosis confidentially with your boss and developing a reasonable accommodations plan. Reasonable accommodations for anxiety disorders include (but are not limited to):

• Taking small breaks throughout the day to go outside and take a short walk or a breath of fresh air


• Having a flexible arrival time in the morning such as between 9 AM and 10 AM and leaving according to when you arrived


• Taking time away from work to visit your doctor or therapist


• Having a desk away from the main entrance or out of the busy traffic of the office


• Being able to take your medication at work

If you suffer from an anxiety disorder and you are having problems making accommodations in your workplace, or you fear you may be fired due to your disorder, call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and how one of our experienced employment lawyers may be able to help you.