Buffer is committed to protecting the safety and well-being of teammates while providing them with opportunities to continue to make an impact at work. Anything that affects someone’s personal life can also affect their work life, and at Buffer we try to honor the authentic self at work. This means we strive to fully support teammates with disabilities, mental health conditions and/or chronic illnesses.

Disability

Disability is an umbrella term for chronic illnesses, mental and sensory conditions, some instances of neurodiversity, and physical impairments that substantially limit one or more major life activities. Disabilities may be present from birth or occur during a person’s lifetime, and can be permanent, intermittent, or temporary. Disabilities can change over time and may also impact people unpredictably.

Disability Disclosures

Disclosing a disability is a very personal and sometimes painful decision, and you are not required to disclose your disability to your manager or Buffer. However, there are many benefits to disclosing your disability.

Common reasons for not disclosing a disability

At Buffer, we understand that disclosing a disability can be a difficult, emotional, and stressful experience. Each person’s situation is unique, and there are many reasons why someone might not wish to disclose a disability, including:

• Fear of being treated differently at work
• Not knowing if they are covered under the ADA, or not knowing their rights
• Fear that nothing will be done about it after disclosing
• Not detecting and/or accepting their own disabilities
• Negative experience in the past

Common reasons for disclosing a disability

While disclosing a disability can feel daunting, there are many benefits. The number one reason to disclose a disability or illness is to receive access to accommodations. Accommodations, sometimes known as “productivity enhancers”, enable us to have an equal opportunity not only to get a job, but successfully perform job tasks to the same extent as people without illnesses or disabilities. Accommodations can be major or minor changes, but can help make your work more accessible.

It can also be draining to hide a significant part of one's identity, and at Buffer we encourage you to bring your authentic self to work.  It is important to remember that not all disability disclosures require accommodations, and not all accommodation requests require disability disclosure.

The following are other common reasons why a person may disclose a disability or medical condition:

Impact to Health

• A recent diagnosis or resurgence of a condition
• Symptoms of a condition or side effects of medication that may be noticeable at work
• Concerns that work is negatively impacting their health