Serving Customers with Anxiety Disorders

Possible accommodations taken from Job Accommodations Network website.

Difficulty Handling Stress and Emotions:

• Provide praise and positive reinforcement
• Refer to counseling and employee assistance programs
• Allow telephone calls during work hours to doctors and others for needed support
• Provide sensitivity training to coworkers
• Allow the employee to take a break to use stress management techniques to cope with frustration

 Attendance Issues:

• Provide flexible leave for health problems
• Provide a self-paced work load and flexible hours
• Allow employee to work from home
• Provide part-time work schedule

 Dealing with Change:

• Recognize that a change in the office environment or of supervisors may be difficult for a person with an anxiety disorder
• Maintain open channels of communication between the employee and the new and old  supervisor in order to ensure an effective transition
• Provide weekly or monthly meetings with the employee to discuss workplace issues and  productions levels

 Working Effectively with Supervisors:

• Provide positive praise and reinforcement
• Provide written job instructions
• Develop written work agreements that include the agreed upon accommodations, clear expectations of responsibilities and the consequences of not meeting performance standards
• Allow for open communication to managers and supervisors
• Establish written long term and short term goals
• Develop strategies to deal with problems before they arise
• Develop a procedure to evaluate the effectiveness of the accommodation

Interacting with Coworkers:

• Educate all employees on their right to accommodations
• Provide sensitivity training to coworkers and supervisors
• Do not mandate employees attend work related social functions
• Encourage employees to move non-work related conversations out of work areas

Updated September, 2009 by Cassy Polen, Disability Program Navigator.