MS Workplace Accommodations Your Employer Could Provide: Ten to Consider

If you have nonrelapsing secondary progressive MS, it means you don’t experience sudden flare-ups like others with MS, but you will feel your symptoms worsen over time. These can include fatigue, muscle stiffness or spasms, problems with balance, needing to pee suddenly or more often, bowel problems, problems with your vision, trouble with memory or concentration, and sensitivity to temperature. These symptoms can make doing your job more difficult, but under the Americans with Disabilities Act, your employer is legally required to provide reasonable accommodations at work to help you manage your symptoms.

Telecommuting can help avoid added fatigue from the commute while also reducing anxiety around finding accessible transit or access to toilets en route to your workplace. It can also give you more control over your work environment. At home, you may be able to set your thermostat to a temperature that’s comfortable for you, especially in hotter weather, to avoid worsened symptoms from heat sensitivity. It can also mean you’ll be less self-conscious taking frequent bathroom breaks since you’ll have more privacy than in a shared office. You might also find yourself more comfortable with your desk setup at home, especially if your office uses hot desking rather than assigned workspaces. 

Flexible hours can help you start the day off right, reducing stress by traveling into work at off-peak times. It can also help you work around cognitive symptoms such as trouble concentrating or having trouble multitasking and physical symptoms like fatigue, muscle spasms, or stiffness. If working from home isn’t possible, flexible hours can also help you manage temperature sensitivity by scheduling your hours after the hottest period of a day, for instance. 

If your job feels overwhelming and you are considering leaving, reducing your hours could be a good first step to try before quitting or changing positions. Working fewer hours can help you deal with fatigue and other symptoms, while finding more balance — including more time for rest and recovery and your personal life. It’s important to work with your employer to adjust your workload along with your hours so you don’t feel pressure to take on the same load in fewer hours. 

Scheduling breaks can have many benefits, but the biggest is that you'll avoid overexerting yourself and worsening fatigue, especially if your job is physical in nature. Breaks away from your desk or workstation can also help with issues with your vision, especially if you work on a computer. Regular breaks can also help manage other symptoms, such as issues with speech. They can also be a great reset if you’re having trouble focusing or multitasking. 

Getting an ergonomic workstation can help ensure your setup isn’t making any pain, stiffness, and fatigue you’re experiencing even worse. You may be able to ask for an ergonomic assessment, which can then determine how your setup needs to change or whether you need new equipment. For those who sit at a desk for the majority of the day, an ergonomic chair can improve your sitting posture and provide support to reduce pain related to sitting in the same position for long periods of time. An adjustable desk can be helpful if you use a wheelchair or scooter. 

Since heat can trigger your symptoms or make them worse, regulating your temperature at work is important. A personal fan is a good solution if you are at a desk or workstation most of your day, or you can use a wearable fan if that’s comfortable. If that isn’t effective, or if you are not in one spot most of your day, you could also ask your employer to set the workplace thermostat at a lower temperature.

You may need more time away from work for doctor’s appointments or other reasons related to manage your symptoms. You may have regular physiotherapy appointments or counselling sessions to support your mental health as your condition changes. This kind of time off would be considered an accommodation, and ideally, separate from other types of leave you are entitled to. 

Key changes to your work environment can ease strain on your eyes. You can request that overhead lighting be adjusted or ask for additional lighting at your workstation. Lighting that is bright but does not directly shine in your eyes is ideal. An anti-glare screen for your monitor can also reduce eye strain. Printing materials in larger print to make them more accessible and providing magnifying tools like a stand magnifier are also low-cost ways to support issues with your vision.

If you are experiencing problems with your mobility, balance, or fatigue, simple accommodations like where you park and how far your desk is from key parts of your workplace can reduce how far you have to walk. You can ask for a parking spot closer to the entrance of the building or ask for your desk to be close to a bathroom, office kitchen, or conference room to reduce the distances you have to walk. 

Your symptoms may affect your ability to retain information in meetings or verbal instructions your manager may give you. There are many memory aids you can ask for, including requesting written instructions for work assignments, written instructions on how to prioritize your tasks, or getting permission to record meetings to be able to review transcripts later. You can also ask for all meetings to be put into a shared calendar, and set alarms for yourself for tasks and meetings. 

If you’re finding that you aren’t able to do your job the way you used to because of worsening MS symptoms, there are many low-cost adjustments you can ask your employer for. You have the right to ask for reasonable accommodations in your workplace that make it possible to keep working without putting further strain on MS symptoms you are dealing with.