You may have (or want to have) a job. But this can be tricky to do if you need different kinds of supports to do a job. These are often called accommodations.
For example
You have a job at a grocery store as a cashier, but you experience problems with balance and dizziness when standing still (especially for long periods of time). You ask for a workplace accommodation of a stool with a back so you can sit at your checkout safely and continue to do your job.
Sometimes it can feel hard to talk about a disability (particularly an invisible disability) with an employer. You may be worried about losing your job or being treated differently. But if you don’t talk to an employer about what you need, you won’t be able to do the job.
Here are some tips on how to talk to an employer; how to discuss your brain injury; and how to ask for the accommodations you need.
Set up a meeting
The biggest part of advocating for yourself is to make sure that your boss/employer knows about your needs. If they don’t know you need help, they can’t help you. You can talk with your parents and your health care team to decide what (and how much) to share with your employer. Keep in mind that telling someone you need accommodations because of your brain injury doesn’t mean you need to tell them details that are private for you. You also don’t need to disclose the same information to every person [1].
For example: You tell your supervisor that you have a brain injury and that you need a stool to help you work at a cash register because of your balance. But you may tell coworkers that you have a health condition that affects how long you can safely stand.
It may be helpful for you to first come into these conversations with a clear outline of what kinds of supports you need.
For example: if you have trouble understanding people when there’s too much going on in your environment, ask your boss and coworkers to wait to talk to you until break time when you can give them your full attention.
Ask your health care team to provide you with appropriate documentation
You should never be put in a position where you are asked to ‘prove’ you have a disability or need accommodation. However, documentation from your health care team can help you advocate for accommodations. Your doctor can provide letters confirming your need for accommodation along with recommendations for accommodations or any information your employer might need in order to keep you safe.
Make sure you keep copies of any documents for yourself, and ask your parents/guardians to double check them for personal information the employer doesn’t need to have.
Take some time to learn about your workplace rights
Your employer has an obligation to work with you to adjust the workplace policies and/or practices to make sure you can fully do your job and be a part of the workplace. This can look like a lot of different things depending on what you need.
While employers have the responsibility to provide reasonable accommodations, there is a limit to how much they can do. They may not be able to meet all your needs if it would affect workplace health and safety or if they company can’t afford the cost. This is called undue hardship. This may mean that you aren’t able to do that job. If an employer does claim undue hardship, they will need to prove that [2].
Remember: You will not be able to receive accommodations if you don’t tell your employer that you need them.
If you want to do some more reading on your employment rights, we have some links for you. Please keep in mind that many of these resources use complicated language, so ask someone for help if there’s something you don’t understand.
- United Nations Article 27 on Work and Employment under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
- The Canadian Human Rights Commission—Duty to Accommodate
- Brain Injury Canada—return to work (this is written for adults, but may be helpful for you).
- Workplace accommodation—A guide for federally regulated employers can be a helpful tool both for your employer and for you. It has examples of accommodations and more information on having these discussions.
- Aide Canada’s Disability Rights Toolkit for Employment
Write down/document everything
When you’re having these conversations, write down/record information (with permission). You can also ask for things in writing and keep copies of emails and documents you receive. This will give you a history of your discussions and make sure you are able to look back on plans and who is involved in the process. You may need to ask for parents or someone you trust to help you with that.
These notes can be on paper, but many people find it easier to keep information on their smartphone. You can ask for digital notes if that’s easier for you. Remember, notes don’t have to be pretty or perfect—they just have to work for you.
If writing or typing doesn’t work for you, there are voice-to-text programs or voice recorder devices/apps that can be used as well.
Be open to working with your employer
It’s the responsibility of the employer to do their best—but there may not be a perfect solution. It’s important to work together to create a plan and system of supports that will give you the best possible outcomes.
