For the past two years, a flexible schedule and a few remote days have let you manage a medical condition and keep doing strong work. Then a new manager emails to say the arrangement ends next week. Can your employer simply take it back? The answer depends on why the change is happening and how your employer handles it.
Know your employer’s ongoing duty to accommodate
A reasonable accommodation is a change to how, when or where you work that helps you do your job despite a disability. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers with 15 or more workers to provide one unless it would cause undue hardship. That means significant difficulty or expense. Ohio’s civil rights rules set a similar duty for employers with four or more workers. This duty continues after approval, so your employer should keep checking in with you.
Recognize when a change may be lawful
Still, an approved accommodation isn’t always permanent. A change may be lawful if your medical needs evolve, your duties shift or the arrangement now creates undue hardship. Your employer may also swap in a different accommodation that still meets your needs. Pulling your support without a legitimate reason, however, can be a form of disability discrimination.
Watch for signs of an unlawful revocation
Some revocations cross a legal line. Warning signs include a blanket return-to-office policy that ignores your situation, no discussion of alternatives or pressure to take leave you don’t need. In March 2026, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued a Houston grocery store, alleging new managers pulled a long-standing accommodation and later fired the worker. Losing support right after a complaint or new request may also point to retaliation, which federal and Ohio law prohibit.
Respond in writing before the change takes effect
A few steps can help protect you if this happens. Ask your employer to explain its decision in writing and request a meeting to discuss other options. Share updated medical details if the company reasonably asks. Keep copies of your original approval, related emails and performance reviews.
Try any reasonable alternative your employer offers, since refusing an effective option can weaken your position. In Ohio, you generally have 300 days to file a federal discrimination charge, so act promptly.
Protect the accommodation that keeps you working
Your employer can sometimes adjust an approved accommodation, but it generally needs a legitimate reason and a real conversation with you first. If your support disappeared without either, your job and income may be at risk. An employment attorney can review what happened and help you choose your next step.