Is it legal for my job to ask me for a doctor’s note for using the restroom?
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Is it legal for my job to ask me for a doctor’s note for using the restroom?
I have a medical condition that requires me to use the bathroom more frequently and for longer than most. My boss and multiple co-workers were hassling me about it. When I went to my boss about it, he basically told me that no one respects me because I use the restroom often and sometimes for 20 minuets at a time. I asked him what I needed to do and jokingly said, ‘What,do I need to get a doctor’s note for using the restroom?’ His response was
something along the lines of do what you feel you have got to do. The harassment from him and other co-workers has not stopped sense I brought the note in.
Asked on May 31, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, Utah
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Yes, an employer can ask for a doctor's note or other verification of a claimed medical need for an accommodation (such as extra or additional bathroom time); they are not required to simply take the employee's claims at face value. The note does not need to go into details about your condition, but should be the doctor's letterhead or scrip pad and should affirm that you have a medical condition requiring more frequent and/or longer bathroom breaks.
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