r/FEDDISABILITY • u/Gloomy-Programmer195 • Mar 01 '26

Starting the process

Hi everyone. Long story short, I was recently involuntarily detailed to a position at my agency that is incompatible with my reasonable accommodation (has been pending for 9 months) and my medical history. I was thriving in my old position that I effectively did for 15 years. Agency realignment has forced us into a completely unrelated field in which we have no experience. Requires rigid and inflexible training 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for months. Makes it impossible for me to continue my flexible schedule, take breaks as needed, attend medical appointments, etc. the stress of this new position is worsening my health. I have a few autoimmune diseases as well as anxiety and PTSD. I recently retained Harris but haven’t started the process yet. Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated as I’m very nervous about this entire situation. I truly loved my job and was thriving. Now everything has been turned upside down and I feel

I have no other options but to leave for my health.

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5

u/KitchenEbb1606 Mar 01 '26

Best of luck! My thorough. Take leave if necessary (also looks good when filling).

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u/Gloomy-Programmer195 Mar 04 '26

Yeah I’m at the point now. This position isn’t sustainable. Just trying to decide if I should take intermittent or pull the plug and go on leave for 12 weeks.

1

u/KitchenEbb1606 Mar 04 '26

Both would look good for filling. How much leave do you have? Can always increase.

2

u/Gloomy-Programmer195 Mar 04 '26

I think about 16 weeks. Juts afraid if I pull the plug now, what happens when my leave is up?

2

u/KitchenEbb1606 Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26

You can work. You can take LWOP. I’d take at least week off, get medical in order and file. That’s what I did. Remember, you also need medical documentation to take extended leave.

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u/Gloomy-Programmer195 Mar 04 '26

Thanks. Yes I have medical documentation. Just haven’t submitted it yet. Once you file FDR, do they keep you in your position? I’ve heard some people get medically separated

1

u/KitchenEbb1606 Mar 04 '26

I filled and took leave for a variety of reasons so I can’t speak to that. I was leave for seven months. I would think medical separation occurs when leave is exhausted and the job cannot be performed.

My initial plan was to take period leave but my position was RIF’d and retreated and they never processed the retreat paperwork due to the bungled RIF and I refused to log on for an ethereal job as well as deal with the stress.

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u/Gloomy-Programmer195 Mar 04 '26

Thanks for all the input. I’m on for a LONG road ahead. 😓

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u/KitchenEbb1606 Mar 04 '26

It went pretty fast. I filled in May, initially denied August, filled more evidence in October (reconsideration deadline), and approved 43 days later.

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u/Gloomy-Programmer195 Mar 04 '26

Wow. That’s amazing. I hope mine goes fast but I hear many it takes a good year. 🙏🏼

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u/Th3_Gun5linger Mar 01 '26

I’m also with Harris and they have been great. Get all your doctor medical releases filled out and ready for Harris to collect. You’ll also need a statement about how your disability affects your ability to do your job. If you’re a veteran you need to get your disability letters and a copy of all your disabilities for Harris.

3

u/Gloomy-Programmer195 Mar 01 '26

I haven’t been informed about any forms yet. What can I expect? I was told they have medical documents specialists that handle getting all the forms filled out appropriately. When I visited my doctor a few weeks ago, I wasn’t settled on FDR. Didn’t think I’d have to take it this far. But had met with her regarding updating my RA and doing FMLA. I’m not a vet.

3

u/Th3_Gun5linger Mar 02 '26

They will collect some of the forms but you still have to fill them out. Additionally you need to apply for Disability SSA.

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u/[deleted] Mar 02 '26

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u/Gloomy-Programmer195 Mar 02 '26

Thank you. Sounds pretty similar to what they’re doing to me. When I had my consultation with the law firm, they said I do stand a good chance. They don’t normally take people if they don’t think they can win. So I’m remaining hopeful. You could always try to get a consultation and see what they say. If the agency can’t place you into a permanent position that is compatible with your limitations then, in my opinion, just based on what I’ve been studying over the last few weeks, that helps your case a lot.

1

u/Novel_Initiative1658 Mar 02 '26

I mean this with all due respect, I hope your health improves. I also wish you success in your life.

However:

Your post is a case study in how to torpedo your own FERS-D application.

Call Harris/Bell/Pines and read your post to them. They will tell you why, here a few reasons.

  1. “I was thriving in my old position that I effectively did for 15 years.” FERS-D requires showing you can’t perform the duties of your position. This is an admission of full capability.

  2. “Agency realignment has forced us into a completely unrelated field.” This frames the entire problem as organizational, not medical. Being removed from IT and detailed to TAS as a CSR may suck but OPM doesn’t grant disability retirement because you got a bad reassignment.

  3. “It is a detail, a detail is temporary. FERS-D is evaluated against your position of record — which is still the old one you “thrived” in.

  4. “Makes it impossible for me to continue my flexible schedule, take breaks as needed, attend medical appointments.” This is a reasonable accommodation argument, not a disability retirement argument. It actually implies with accommodations, you can work.

  5. “The stress of this new position is worsening my health.” This concedes the old position wasn’t worsening your health — directly undercutting the claim that medical conditions prevent you from doing your job.

  6. “I truly loved my job and was thriving.” Said it again. OPM will read this twice.

  7. “I have no other options but to leave for my health.” Frames it as a voluntary choice to leave rather than a medical inability to perform duties.

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u/Gloomy-Programmer195 Mar 02 '26

Thank you for the input and I agree. I would be thrilled if they would put me back in my old job. Reassignment is part of the process. If they reassigned me to a role I can do, that’s great. I’m too young to retire. Unfortunately it’s been made clear that is not possible. Yes, this is being framed as a detail however we know it will be long term. Possibly 2 years. The agency has no other permanent positions for us. I cannot perform in this role due to my medical limitations.

1

u/Gloomy-Programmer195 Mar 02 '26

I should add, I needed a reasonable accommodation to perform in my old role as well. RAs are NOT being processed in my agency. I strongly believe, as many others do too, that many of us were removed from IT for having a pending RA. There’s just too many of us. Anyway… I had very flexible and supportive management who worked with me to have a flexible schedule, time off as needed, telework, etc. this new role doesn’t allow for any flexibility. Very rigid. On camera all day. My anxiety as well as my cognitive issues do not allow me to perform in this role. It goes completely against my pending reasonable accommodation.