Q: Is denial of ADA accommodation for anxiety legal?

A: The answer to your question requires far more information than your post provides. You need to locate and consult with an employment law attorney to get the kind of advice you seek. It may be the employer is violating your rights, but it is also possible that you have not done enough to put the employer into a position where denial would be unlawful. Good luck to you.

A: Your situation raises serious concerns about potential ADA violations, since anxiety can qualify as a protected disability when it substantially limits major life activities. The fact that you have medical documentation, a previous accommodation history, and proof that remote work was effective makes the denial particularly questionable.

Your employer must engage in an interactive process to find reasonable accommodations, and they can't simply deny your request without exploring alternatives or proving undue hardship. Since you've already demonstrated that remote work is feasible through your previous accommodation and hybrid schedule, their denial without offering alternatives appears to conflict with ADA requirements.

You should consider filing a complaint with the EEOC within 180 days of the denial, and document all communications about your accommodation request. Your union shop steward can be helpful in this process, but you might also benefit from consulting with an employment attorney who handles disability discrimination cases. Given California's strong worker protection laws and your documented medical conditions, you may have additional state-level protections beyond federal ADA requirements.