You asked for a reasonable accommodation, and your employer denied it, ignored it, or let the process drag on with no real answer. If that’s where you are right now, you’re not overreacting by wanting to understand what happens next. What your employer does after a request, and what you do in response, can matter as much as the disability itself.
This page focuses specifically on what to do after an accommodation request has been denied or ignored. For the fuller picture, including how disability is defined under the ADA, what counts as a reasonable accommodation, and who’s covered, see our comprehensive guide to disability discrimination and workplace accommodations in Tennessee.
What a Denial or Delay Can Look Like
Employers rarely say no outright. More often, a request quietly stalls, gets a vague non-answer, or the employee is pushed toward resignation instead of a real accommodation. Common patterns we see in Tennessee workplaces:
- Ignoring the request entirely or never responding
- Refusing to engage in the required interactive process
- Pushing the employee to resign rather than making an adjustment
- Placing the employee on unpaid leave instead of exploring accommodation options
- Retaliating after the request is made
Real-Life Example: One Hunter Employment Law client was terminated after returning from surgery, even though her doctor had cleared her to work with light-duty restrictions. The employer claimed it couldn’t accommodate her, but never explored any options. That’s not just a poor decision. It may be illegal.
When the Interactive Process Breaks Down
Once an employer knows an employee needs an accommodation, the law requires them to engage in an interactive process: discussing the need, evaluating options, and documenting that discussion in good faith. When this breaks down, it’s often a sign something has gone wrong, not just an administrative delay. Signs the process has broken down include:
- The employer never opens a real conversation about the request
- Only one option is offered, with no discussion of alternatives
- The process drags on for weeks or months with no explanation
- The employer cuts off communication after the request is made
If your employer failed to engage in this process at all, or cut it short, that failure can itself be grounds for a claim, separate from whether the accommodation itself was ultimately reasonable.
Why the Booth v. Nissan Case Matters Here
Denials don’t only happen through a flat refusal. In Booth v. Nissan North America, Inc., 927 F.3d 387 (6th Cir. 2019), the Sixth Circuit upheld a jury verdict for a Tennessee employee who was terminated after requesting accommodations related to his PTSD. The case is a reminder that a termination following an accommodation request, even one an employer frames as unrelated, can itself become the basis of a claim, and that this protection applies to mental health conditions just as much as physical ones.
What to Document
What you document now can determine what options are available to you later.
- The date and content of your original request
- Any doctor’s notes or medical documentation you provided
- Every response, or non-response, from your employer
- Who you spoke with and when
- Anything that changed about your job, hours, or treatment after the request
Retaliation After a Denied or Ignored Request
If you were fired, demoted, or forced out after requesting an accommodation, that timing matters. Retaliation for requesting a reasonable accommodation is prohibited under the ADA, and a retaliation claim can exist separately from, and sometimes more strongly than, the underlying accommodation claim itself.
What to Do Next
If your accommodation request was denied or ignored, here’s where to start:
- Document everything, including your request, any medical documentation, and your employer’s response
- Consult an employment attorney to assess your specific situation
- File a charge with the EEOC if appropriate. Hunter Employment Law’s guidance is to treat 180 days from the violation as the operative filing deadline in Tennessee.
Important: If you’ve been fired, demoted, or forced out after requesting an accommodation, you may also have a retaliation claim, a separate and often stronger legal claim under the ADA.
Why Choose Hunter Employment Law?
We don’t just know the law, we understand the real-world impact of being denied fair treatment after a medical challenge. Our all-female, trauma-informed team has deep experience litigating disability discrimination and ADA cases in Tennessee federal courts.
We are:
- Trial-ready when negotiation isn’t enough
- Compassionate, high-touch, and strategic
- Focused on employee rights
Get the Legal Support You Deserve.
If you’ve been denied a reasonable accommodation, or your request has gone unanswered, you don’t have to navigate this alone. Let Hunter Employment Law evaluate your situation and fight for the outcome you deserve.
Schedule a confidential case evaluation today.
Serving clients across Tennessee.
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