An Unaccommodating Situation is a cross-post from Working America’s Dear David workplace advice column.

Question:

If you are under doctor direction not to return to a full schedule or work only half- or part-time, can HR say that you either come back full-time or not at all? I had surgery that my doctor said required me to work no more than part-time. The school let me work a part-time schedule though they didn’t let me teach the classes that would have been best for my students. They also lambasted me for it and think I should have come back right away. Now the district policy is full-time or nothing. No partial-time doctor’s notes will be accepted. Can they do this?