Telework Shift Poses Obstacle for Workers Seeking Disability Pay

The pandemic-related rise in telework has been a boon for workers with disabilities who’ve seen their employment rates rise, but it’s made it harder for them to convince private disability insurers that their condition makes them unable to work.

Insurers weighing disability claims have pointed to the increased availability of telework to argue that workers who claim to be disabled in fact have the capacity to work. Lawyers representing disability claimants say this has come up more frequently in the claims process, where insurers have queried doctors about claimants’ capacity for telework and used the possibility of telework as a ...