How to Answer “Have you ever been fired or laid off from a job because of problems getting along with other people?” on SSA Form 3373 (Function Report)
Losing a job because of conflict with other people can be painful to think about, and this question can feel loaded. On Form SSA-3373-BK (Function Report), Question 20(i), the SSA is not just asking about an experience you’d like to forget. It’s trying to understand whether your medical conditions affect your ability to interact with coworkers, supervisors, or the public in a work setting.
This is question 20(i) on the Function Report:
“Have you ever been fired or laid off from a job because of problems getting along with other people? If ‘YES,’ please explain. If ‘YES,’ please give name of employer.”
This question helps SSA understand a past problematic work situation and compare it with the rest of the file to compile medical evidence. Don’t be too nervous about naming your employer. There are federal privacy rules that protect the information in your disability claim file.
Some people feel nervous about naming an employer because they worry a Disability Determination Services (DDS) examiner will automatically call and not get the whole story from the employer, and the employee might see things differently. In many cases, DDS relies mostly on forms, medical records, and work history details rather than contacting a former employer just because you listed one here. That said, SSA or DDS may contact an employer in some cases to clarify work information, especially if there is a question about job duties, work activity, conflicts, or other details already being developed. The employer contact is generally for limited nonmedical development, such as clarifying work duties, work activity, or functional observations.
Short, factual answers keep things simple but informative: name the employer, explain what happened in work terms, and focus on your symptoms and functioning rather than on proving fault.
A lot of people do not want to sound like they are blaming others, exaggerating, or admitting something embarrassing, so they find it difficult to answer this question. Keep reading to learn more about how to describe an experience in a clear, steady way that connects the job problem to symptoms and functioning over time.
⚖️ This article is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Every claim is unique.
Why SSA Asks This Question
This is mostly a mental functioning question, although physical symptoms can play into it too. For example, severe pain, fatigue, sleep loss, seizures, brain injury symptoms, or medication side effects can make someone more irritable, less patient, slower to process what is being said, or more likely to misread social situations. SSA’s adult mental-disorder framework looks closely at areas such as interacting with others and adapting or managing oneself.
In everyday life, trouble in this area can show up like this:
arguments with coworkers or supervisors
shutting down when corrected or criticized
panic, anger, or tears during ordinary work interactions
misreading tone, feeling threatened, or reacting too strongly
avoiding people so much that work cannot be done reliably
In work-related terms, this kind of problem can affect limits such as:
limited interaction with the public
reduced contact with coworkers or supervisors
difficulty responding appropriately to supervision, coworkers, and usual work situations
How to Think About Your Answer
Take a moment to think about the question behind the question. SSA is not only asking, “Did you lose a job?” It is also asking, “What usually happened when you had to deal with other people at work?”
Try to think in patterns, not just headlines.
Instead of writing only, “Yes, I got fired from Walmart,” slow it down a little:
What symptoms showed up?
Who did you have trouble with: supervisors, coworkers, customers, or all three?
What usually triggered it: criticism, noise, crowds, stress, confusion, pain, PTSD symptoms, paranoia, panic, anger, brain fog?
How often did it happen?
Did the problem build over weeks or months?
What changed after your condition started or worsened?
A before-and-after comparison can help. For example:
“Before my PTSD got worse in 2022, I could work around other people. Since around June 2022, I get overwhelmed easily, misread comments as threatening, and have had repeated conflict with supervisors and coworkers.”
That kind of answer gives SSA something much more useful than a one-word “yes.”
It also helps to include the details SSA decision-makers often look for in function descriptions:
frequency: once a month, weekly, every shift, only during busy periods
duration: brief flare-ups, all-day tension, repeated incidents over several months
variability: worse on bad days, better in quiet settings, worse under pressure
real-world consequences: write-ups, being sent home, quitting after conflict, reassignment, termination
If the event happened once, but it reflected a bigger pattern, say that. If it happened more than once with different employers, say that too.
Conditions That Can Affect Getting Along With Other People at Work
A number of adult conditions can affect this part of functioning. SSA evaluates adult impairments under the Blue Book Part A, and for mental disorders it looks at how symptoms affect areas like interacting with others and adapting or managing oneself.
Common condition groups include:
Depression — low frustration tolerance, withdrawal, tearfulness, slowed processing; often associated with Blue Book Listing 12.04 (depressive, bipolar and related disorders)
Anxiety disorders — panic, tension, irritability, avoidance, overstimulation; often associated with Blue Book Listing 12.06 (anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders)
PTSD and trauma-related disorders — hypervigilance, anger, mistrust, strong reactions to criticism or conflict; often associated with Blue Book Listing 12.15 (trauma- and stressor-related disorders)
Bipolar disorder — irritability, impulsivity, pressured speech, conflict during mood episodes; often associated with Blue Book Listing 12.04 (depressive, bipolar and related disorders)
Autism spectrum disorder or ADHD — difficulty reading social cues, interruptions, distractibility, conflict under stress; often associated with Blue Book Listing 12.10 (autism spectrum disorder) or 12.11 (neurodevelopmental disorders)
Neurological or cognitive disorders — poor impulse control, confusion, slowed thinking, misreading situations; these may relate to Blue Book Listing 12.02 (neurocognitive disorders) and, depending on the diagnosis, sometimes a neurological listing in Section 11.00
Chronic pain and sleep-related conditions — irritability, reduced patience, poor concentration, short temper from persistent symptoms; these do not always match one single Blue Book listing and may be evaluated under the body system involved, with some sleep-related breathing disorders addressed in Listing 3.10
You can also look up these listing sections in our SSDI Blue Book Quick Reference Tool, which links directly to the SSA website so readers can compare their diagnosis with the official adult listing language.
The important link is not just the diagnosis. It is how your diagnosis, symptoms, and medical records fit with what happened when you had to deal with people at work.
How Medications Can Affect Getting Along With Others
Sometimes the main issue is not only the condition itself. Medication side effects can also affect social functioning and work interactions.
Side effects that can matter here include:
fatigue or slowed thinking
agitation or restlessness
emotional blunting
dizziness or feeling off-balance
brain fog or delayed processing
sleepiness that makes you less patient or more confused
Medication types that sometimes come up in this area include:
antidepressants
anti-anxiety medicines
antipsychotic medicines
mood stabilizers
seizure or nerve-pain medicines
opioid pain medicines or muscle relaxers
A short model example:
Educational example — edit to fit your experience:
“Since around March 2024, my anxiety medication helps some, but it also makes me tired and slow to process what people are saying. At work I would get confused when corrected, feel overwhelmed, and either shut down or respond the wrong way.”
Examples and Variations (Mild, Moderate, Severe)
These are educational examples that show how this kind of problem can look at different levels, from milder trouble with coworkers or supervisors to more serious patterns that can lead to write-ups, being sent home, or losing a job. Do not copy and paste them. Instead, use them to help think through your own experience.
Mild pattern
Someone with milder difficulty may usually get along with others, but stress can make them more sensitive or withdrawn. Since around late 2023, they may have a few conflicts after being corrected, especially on busy days, and may need extra time to calm down. They may not be fired, but they may start avoiding group tasks and have occasional write-ups.
Moderate pattern
Someone with moderate difficulty may have repeated problems with coworkers and supervisors because anxiety, PTSD, or irritability can make ordinary feedback hard to handle. They may argue, leave the area, cry, or shut down several times a month. One employer may warn them more than once, and they may eventually lose the job after repeated conflict during stressful shifts.
Marked or severe pattern
Someone with marked difficulty may have major trouble functioning around other people in a work setting. They may misread comments, become overwhelmed, angry, panicked, or nonresponsive, and may not be able to handle normal supervision or coworker contact reliably. They may be fired or sent home more than once, and even short, simple jobs may break down because social interaction problems keep happening.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
One common mistake is turning this answer into a fight story. SSA usually learns more from a calm description of symptoms and work problems than from a long explanation of who was right.
Another mistake is being too vague. “Yes, because of attitude problems” does not explain much. A better answer shows what “attitude problems” actually meant in daily work terms.
Watch out for these pitfalls:
giving only “yes” with no explanation
focusing only on the employer’s unfairness instead of symptoms and limitations
describing one dramatic incident but not the bigger pattern
forgetting to name the employer if the answer is yes
saying here that there were no problems with people when other parts of the form describe major social problems
leaving out relevant medical triggers like panic, PTSD symptoms, pain, fatigue, or medication side effects
Clear and honest usually works better than polished. Try to describe what happened, how often, and what your condition had to do with it.
How SSA Uses Your Answer to Evaluate Work-Related Limits
SSA does not decide a case from this one checkbox. It combines the answer with treatment notes, work history, medical opinions, and the rest of the Function Report. As part of that process, SSA looks at your Residual Functional Capacity (RFC), which means the most you can still do in a work setting despite your medical conditions. In simple terms, RFC is SSA’s way of deciding what kinds of work-related activities you can still handle, how often, and under what limits.
So Question 20(i) can inform RFC-style issues like:
whether someone can handle ordinary supervision
whether they can work near coworkers without undue distraction or behavioral problems
whether public contact may need to be limited
whether stress or conflict causes interruptions in attendance, pace, or persistence
That does not mean that every firing or layoff points to disability. It does mean this question can help SSA understand whether problems with symptoms, stress, or social interaction have affected your ability to keep a job.
When to Use the Remarks Section (Section E)
The Remarks section can help when the short answer box feels too small.
This is often useful when:
the firing happened after a long build-up, not one incident
there was very different functioning in quiet settings versus busy, public, or stressful ones
the problem happens on bad days but not every day
another person had to step in to calm conflicts or communicate
there were serious consequences like write-ups, suspension, repeated terminations, or leaving jobs after repeated conflict
A short remark can work well.
Educational example — edit to fit your experience:
“Since around August 2022, I have had repeated problems handling criticism and working around others because of PTSD symptoms, panic, and irritability. At my last job with [Employer Name], I was written up several times after conflict with coworkers and was later let go.”
Keep it factual. There is no need for a long narrative.
Expert Perspective: How Decision-Makers Look at This Answer
From an Examiner’s Point of View
An examiner is usually looking for a pattern that makes sense with the medical evidence. If someone says they were fired because they could not handle coworkers, the examiner may look for treatment notes showing anxiety, anger, panic, trauma symptoms, paranoia, cognitive problems, medication changes, counseling, or reports of social difficulty.
A mismatch can happen when a form describes severe, repeated conflict but the record shows no complaints at all about mood, behavior, concentration, social interaction, or treatment side effects. Another mismatch can happen when the form says a person cannot tolerate any supervision, but other evidence suggests they stopped work mainly for a different reason.
From an Attorney or Advocate’s Point of View
An advocate usually tries to show a coherent story: what changed, how often the problem happened, what triggered it, and why it mattered in real life. The strongest descriptions often include frequency, duration, variability, and consequences rather than labels like “bad attitude” or “didn’t fit in.” An SSDI attorney can help you if you have a complicated situation.
From an ALJ (Judge)’s Point of View
A judge may compare this answer with hearing testimony, medical opinions, work history, and the rest of the file. Judges often look for consistency over time, while also recognizing that symptoms can vary, worsen, or improve.
Key Takeaways
This question is really about whether your condition affects your ability to work around other people.
Try to describe a pattern, not just one dramatic event.
Tie the job problem to your symptoms: panic, irritability, trauma reactions, confusion, pain, fatigue, or side effects.
Include frequency, time frame, and consequences when you can.
Keep the tone factual and focused on functioning.
Use the Remarks section if the short space does not let you explain the pattern clearly.
For a broader view of how this question fits into the full Function Report, explore our SSA Form 3373 Resource Hub.
🔗 Related Questions
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https://www.startdisability.com/form-3373-how-to/answer-question-follow-written-instructions-question-20fHow to answer “How Well Do You Follow Spoken Instructions?” on SSA Form 3373 (Question 20(g))
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https://www.startdisability.com/form-3373-how-to/answer-question-handle-routine-q20-k
FAQ for Question 20(i)
Q. What is SSA trying to learn from this question?
A. SSA is trying to understand whether medical conditions affect the ability to work with other people in a job setting. That includes coworkers, supervisors, and sometimes the public. This fits into areas like interacting with others and adapting to ordinary work demands.
Q. What if I was fired, but not officially for “getting along with other people”?
A. That can still be explained honestly and carefully. Sometimes the official reason is something like attendance, walking off the job, violating a rule, theft, or another stated reason. If problems getting along with other people were not part of what happened, it is usually better not to force this question to fit. But if conflict, panic, shutdowns, poor judgment, or trouble handling supervision were part of the chain of events, some people briefly explain that connection in factual work terms. The goal is not to argue with the employer’s label. It is to describe what actually happened and how, if at all, the condition affected the situation.
Q. Do I need to name the employer?
A. The form says that if the answer is yes, the person should explain and give the name of the employer. There is no need for a long story there. A short explanation plus the employer name is usually enough for that line.
Q. What if I was laid off for mixed reasons?
A. It is okay to describe mixed reasons if that is what happened. For example, someone might explain that performance dropped and there was also repeated conflict with coworkers because of panic, irritability, confusion, or pain-related stress. A balanced answer is often more believable than an overly neat one.
Q. Should I mention police, security, or emergency situations?
A. Some people briefly mention those events when symptoms clearly played a role and the event helps explain functioning. The focus should stay on the condition and what happened to behavior or ability to cope, not on arguing the whole incident.
Q. What if I am embarrassed by what happened?
A. That is very common. It can help to think of the answer as a functional description, not a character judgment. The form is asking whether the condition affected the ability to get along with others in a work setting.
Q. Should I include medication side effects here?
A. Yes, if they matter. A short mention that medication makes someone groggy, slowed down, emotionally flat, or more agitated can help explain why work interactions went badly.
Q. What if my biggest problem is with supervisors, not coworkers?
A. That can be stated clearly. SSA looks at whether a person can respond appropriately to supervision, coworkers, and usual work situations, so it helps to identify which kind of interaction is hardest.
Q. What if this is not a major problem for me?
A. Then it is okay to say so. Some claims are driven more by physical limits, concentration problems, absences, fatigue, or pace. This question is just one part of the overall picture.
References
Social Security Administration. (2025). Function Report—Adult (Form SSA-3373-BK).https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-3373-bk.pdf
Social Security Administration. (n.d.). 12.00 mental disorders—adult.Disability Evaluation Under Social Security.https://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/12.00-MentalDisorders-Adult.htm
Social Security Administration. (2016, March 28). SSR 16-3p: Titles II and XVI: Evaluation of symptoms in disability claims.https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/rulings/di/01/SSR2016-03-di-01.html
Social Security Administration. (2025, August 14). POMS DI 22511.007: Evidence about functioning.https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0422511007
Social Security Administration. (2024, June 21). POMS DI 25020.010: Mental limitations.https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0425020010
Social Security Administration. (2016, January 5). POMS DI 25025.010: Using Rule 204.00 as a framework for a determination.https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0425025010
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any medical concerns or questions. Consult with a licensed attorney for legal advice.
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