Mental Health at Work: Your Right to Accommodation

Under Ontario's Human Rights Code, disability includes mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD and bipolar disorder. Employers must accommodate them to the point of undue hardship.

Examples of accommodation

• Flexible hours or a gradual return to work
• Time off for appointments
• Changes to duties or a quieter workspace
• Working from home for a period
• Changes to how instructions or feedback are given

Medical information

Employers can ask for information about your limitations and needs, usually from your doctor. In most cases they aren't entitled to your diagnosis.

Your part

• Ask for accommodation, ideally in writing.
• Share the information reasonably needed.
• Take part in finding a solution.

The employer's part

• Take the request seriously and act promptly.
• Keep medical information confidential.
• Explore options, and accommodate unless it would cause undue hardship.

If you are refused or penalized

Keep records, and know that you can apply to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, usually within one year.

Sources

• Ontario Human Rights Code
• OHRC: policy on mental health disabilities

Read next: Drug and Alcohol Testing at Work in Ontario

General Ontario legal information, not legal advice for your matter, and reading it does not create a retainer. Sources checked 16 October 2026: check the current law, forms and dates before you act.

Photos from Unsplash: Modern open-plan office with employees working at individual workstations · a black and white photo of a person's hands on a book.

This article is general information for people in Ontario, not legal advice. Rules, forms and deadlines change, and every situation is different. Check the current rule or speak to a licensed legal professional before you act.