The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently made a controversial decision to revoke permission for employees with disabilities to work from home, citing a directive from the Trump administration to mostly end remote work for federal employees. This decision has put a pause on approving reasonable accommodations for new applicants seeking to work from home, at least temporarily, according to an email obtained by STAT.
The CDC’s move is based on an August update to a broader Health and Human Services telework policy, which reportedly did not include long-term telework as an option for federal employees with disabilities. The agency is currently awaiting clarification from HHS, but in the meantime, all approvals for long-term telework, including reasonable accommodation (RA) long-term telework, have been paused until further notice. Employees are encouraged to reach out to their supervisor or manager for assistance with an interim solution.
The impact of this decision is significant, with dozens of CDC employees affected by the withdrawal of approval for remote work. Disability lawyers have raised concerns that the CDC’s action may violate the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which provides employment protections for federal employees with disabilities. The one-size-fits-all approach to telework accommodations raises legal concerns, as reasonable accommodations should be individualized based on the specific job duties of each employee.
The confusion over remote work policies began earlier in the year when President Trump issued an executive order calling for agencies to terminate remote work arrangements. This uncertainty escalated in April when CDC employees overseeing reasonable accommodations were let go as part of a reduction in force. Employees with pending requests were given temporary approval for their exemptions, but on Monday, longstanding reasonable accommodations and new requests were denied without explanation.
CDC employees were left in the dark about why their reasonable accommodations were revoked, with some receiving emails in the early hours of the morning informing them of the change. This lack of communication goes against disability law, which requires supervisors to have conversations with employees about their specific accommodation needs. Some employees were even instructed to report to work the next day, regardless of their disability status.
The implications of this decision are far-reaching, as it not only affects the well-being of CDC employees with disabilities but also raises concerns about the agency’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The future of remote work accommodations for federal employees with disabilities remains uncertain as the CDC awaits further guidance from HHS.
