A Texas-based HYROX athlete named August recently took to Instagram to ask a question about a workplace. August, who lives with a nerve degeneration disorder, requested accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to him, he was told that the support he needed would only be temporarily granted. After which, HR allegedly told him that they would review whether he was still a good fit for the company. It left him questioning everything. August explained in his post that he struggles with strength, coordination, and balance, which makes his daily life and work schedule a bit of a challenge. He noted that his employer operates with very strict scheduling, often finalizing shifts five or six weeks out. This rigidity made it nearly impossible for him to attend emergency doctor appointments without running into trouble. After consulting with his doctor, August submitted paperwork to formally request accommodations. He was immediately pulled into an HR meeting. Nervous about their reaction, he only asked for the scheduling accommodation despite his physician suggesting a range of options; August mentioned he “knew” the others would likely be rejected. It should be noted that August never identified the company. So, all we have is his post, and we can’t get a statement from the company. The company allegedly still addressed the other accommodations mentioned August claimed, “So they told me like, ‘No. We can’t let you off a couple days a month, that’ll affect like your appointment status. And we can’t let you off like these days a year, because that’s like technically leave. And like we can’t do that.’” While they eventually agreed to help with the scheduling, the tone shifted at the end of the meeting. He recalled, “And then at the end, she’s like, ‘Okay, well, these are only temporary. They’re only going to last six months. So in six months, we’ll pull you aside and we’ll, you know, we’ll have a talk again to make sure you’re cut out for this role.’” View this post on Instagram This comment hit him hard. As he pointed out in the caption of his post, “I feel like I’m going crazy but are reasonable accommodations not permanent for those with permanent disabilities?” Recently, an LA actress faced this same question when she tried to use the LA Dash bus. The driver not only denied her the wheelchair ramp, but when asked for a reason, he allegedly said, ‘Because I said so’ According to the ADA National Network, a reasonable accommodation is defined as any change to the work environment that allows a qualified person with a disability to perform the essential functions of their job. The process is intended to be interactive, involving both employee and employer, to find an effective solution. The ADA National Network explicitly states that the process should be continuous to adjust for the person’s needs. This also applies outside of the workplace. Other countries, like the UK, have similar accommodations. However, when a bride tried to enforce previously agreed-upon access, her venue allegedly sabotaged her path up the aisle. Instagram was supportive, and many suggested legal action. One user commented, “I work in HR, and ALL of this is illegal. If you have documentation from your doctor, your employer cannot legally deny you reasonable accommodations. And all of this sounds reasonable!!” Another advised, “They can not threaten your job for accommodations. Document everything, follow up with emails.” View this post on Instagram Two weeks after his initial post, August provided an update. He took the community advice and tried to get a confirmation of the previous conversation. August emailed HR to ask why the accommodations were set to expire and why he would be reviewed in six months. He claimed that he received no response. When he followed up on Teams, he was told they were busy. Eventually, he received a PDF document regarding workplace accommodations. It made no mention of the six-month timeline or the performance review they had allegedly mentioned. Despite his repeated attempts to get clarity, he was left without a real answer. He decided that the company wasn’t right for him and decided to move on. He explained, “If someone doesn’t want me in this role because I asked for ADA accommodations, then I don’t want to be in this role. I don’t want to be at a company where I don’t feel respected for who I am and the hard work that I’ve put in.” He stated that he is still looking for jobs, but also stated that he would embrace his passion for fitness. August is currently working on his personal training certification. After that, he plans to design a fitness application that includes both standard and adaptive movements. His goal is to create a space where everyone, regardless of ability, feels like they belong in the fitness community.