Maintaining Confidentiality Regarding ADA Accommodation Requests

Employers must treat all disability-related information as confidential, plus share information only on a need-to-know basis (e.g., supervisors if needed to implement accommodation). In other words, do not disclose to coworkers or others why someone is receiving an accommodation. Employers should apply the same process and standards for all employees and avoid arbitrary decisions or bias. For an HR Generalist, ensuring human resources compliance means keeping all medical information confidential, plus storing such information separately from personnel files in accordance with HIPAA privacy standards and labor law. Note: This is an excerpt from our ADA Training & Certification Program.