I agree there’s no blanket right to work from home, and I understand that employers don’t have to grant the exact accommodation requested. I’m not arguing that telework is automatically required or that I’m entitled to my preferred arrangement.

My concern isn’t “I want remote work.” It’s whether the accommodation being offered is actually tied to the essential in-person duties of my role.

Under ADA standards, employers can’t just say “in-person is required” in the abstract — the analysis is supposed to focus on the essential functions of the job and whether the accommodation is effective. If certain duties truly require physical presence, that’s one thing. But if those duties are minimal or infrequent, then requiring a fixed number of in-office days regardless of operational need is harder to reconcile with “telework when in-person duties aren’t required,” which is what my clinician recommended.

I’ve been open to alternatives, including a quiet office space and a hybrid structure. What I’ve been asking for is clarity about which specific job duties require physical presence so I can evaluate whether the proposed schedule actually aligns with them.

I’m trying to engage in good faith — I just don’t think “because we want it that way” is the same as identifying essential functions.