CDC workers with disabilities can no longer work remotely, documents show

"Employees with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will no longer be allowed to work from home, even if they previously were able to do so as part of reasonable accommodations for a disability or medical issue, according to internal documents shared with USA TODAY. Approved employees with qualifying disabilities and medical issues were previously allowed to work from home for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CDC if their condition demanded or justified it."

"However, under the new HHS policy outlined in an email shared with USA TODAY, even those with qualifying conditions will still be required to attend work in person. In an email sent to senior CDC leadership on Sept. 15, the CDC's Office of Human Resources said it was "awaiting further clarity" on a new HHS telework policy that excluded long-term telework, including for those with reasonable accommodations."

"This new policy from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) follows a presidential memorandum requiring federal employees to return to in-person work. Existing long-term telework agreements will not be renewed, and new requests are currently paused. A union representing CDC employees has called the move a "sweeping civil rights violation," stating some workers had their accommodations revoked with little notice."

CDC employees with qualifying disabilities or medical issues will no longer be allowed to work from home as part of long-term telework or reasonable accommodations. The HHS policy change follows a presidential memorandum requiring federal employees to return to in-person work. Existing long-term telework agreements will not be renewed and new requests are paused. The CDC Office of Human Resources said it is awaiting further clarity and has paused approvals for long-term telework, including reasonable-accommodation telework. A union called the change a sweeping civil rights violation and said some accommodations were revoked with little notice.

Read at USA TODAY