A manager has asked to see the medical documentation supporting their employee’s request for an accommodation. Can we share that with them?

No, medical documentation should stay with HR and not be shared with the manager.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to keep employee medical information confidential and accessible only to those who need it to do their jobs. The employee’s manager doesn’t need to know (and shouldn’t be asking about) why the accommodation was requested or approved or be told any details about the employee’s medical condition. They simply need to know whether the accommodation was approved and what the accommodation entails.

You can certainly work with the manager on determining whether the requested accommodation would pose an undue hardship, but that conversation should focus on the details of the accommodation (e.g., no lifting more than 15 pounds for one month) and not get into the employee’s medical information.

This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law.