Is employer allowed to know disability diagnosis?

When an employee has a "hidden" disability (such as mental illness or AIDS), and he requests a reasonable accommodation, is it necessary to identify the exact "nature" of the disability?

Rita Risser's response:

An employer is not allowed to know the exact nature of the disability, unless such information is critical to the reasonable accommodation decision. For example, a person with AIDS is not allowed by law to fly commercial aircraft, so in that situation, an employer may have a right to know the diagnosis. But most jobs do not require AIDS-specific accommodations. Thus, all the employer needs to know is the limitations of the disability.

In the case of mental illness, an employer need not be informed of whether the diagnosis is schizophrenia, manic depression or other illness. The employer simply needs to know if the employee can do the job, and if not, what reasonable accommodations must be made.

The employer is allowed to inform an employee's doctor about the essential functions of the job, and get specific information about restrictions on the employee's ability to perform those functions.

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