HEAL of Southern Arizona
Working with MCS
MCS may make working difficult due to airborne toxins in the workplace. Toxins in the workplace may have caused the MCS in the first place.
People with MCS have the right to work in a place that does not cause them reactions.
Work Places Many work environments are not controllable and are not suitable for people with MCS. Anyplace that involves the public, such as restaurants, stores, and medical facilities cannot be made tolerable for those with MCS. Anywhere where there are other employees will only be tolerable if management is willing to enforce a strict no scents rule and accommodate with an acceptable cleaning product, etc. Factories may produce airborne chemicals and involve petrochemical lubricants, and are very difficult to make MCS tolerable.
If the person with MCS can do their job at home, that is the best solution. Second to that, is a closable office/space in a tolerable building. Work that can be done outside and does not involve pesticides may also work.
For people with severe MCS to keep working they may have to change and learn a new skill that can be done from home, or in a non-toxic environment.
Accommodation for MCS in the Workplace This will only be possible if there are no chemicals or public intrinsic to the work.
Office workers, phone workers, computer people, can ask to be accommodated in their present job. MCS is covered under the workers with disabilities act, and employers are required to accommodate if it does not cause an undue hardship.
How to ask for MCS Accommodation
It is necessary to make a formal request asking for the accommodation of your disability. This should go to whoever is responsible for accommodating people with disabilities. In larger organizations that will be through the Human Resources department and they may have a process for doing it.
· Specify what the limits of your disability are: For exampIe: Cannot be exposed to scents like perfumes or deodorizers.
· Specify what your reactions are: For example, when exposed to scents I become dizzy and confused, when exposed to deodorizers I become weak and my knees buckle.
· Ask for specific remediations giving alternatives if any exist: For example, I can work from home, or work in a closed room without scented air, or the building can become scent-free.
· Supply proof of your disability as required by the employer, such as a letter from your clinical ecologist or MD. It should say the same thing you said above. For Example: “Tom Jones is under my treatment for a condition that makes it difficult for him to function when exposed to certain chemicals. If he is exposed to fragrances, he will become dizzy and confused. There is currently no remedy for this condition except to avoid those triggers that make him ill.”
· Supply information on MCS and its legal status as a disability such as:
Accommodation and Compliance Series: Employees with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and Environmental Illness (EI) by Job Accommodation Network.
A comprehensive and scientific analysis of MCS and work Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and the Workplace: Current Position and Need for an Occupational Health Surveillance Protocol from the journal “Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity”.
What OSHA says: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Mutiple Chemical Sensitivity, Evaluation and Management
Disability
If you are not able to work because your job involves working with people or toxins, you may want to consider other jobs that can be done from home.
During the period while you are learning a new job you may be able to get assistance.
If you cannot work because you are always in a reaction, or have other serious disabilities you can apply for Social Security Disability. You will want to contact an attorney that specializes and SS and get a doctor to document your reasons for not being able to work. Your doctor should be familiar with what are acceptable reasons and understands why you cannot work. SS Disability is difficult to get, in that almost all applications are turned down the first time. You will have to appeal twice. It takes up to one year to be approved. It is harder to be accepted in some states and it may be worth moving for that reason. This brochure from the MS society is applicable in many respects as general advice.