Reasonable Accommodations?

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Because of EEO, employers are required to give their employees reasonable accommodations, but how do you know if you're asking for too much? When will they just say "Screw it, you're fired"? I don't work well around certain noises, but I keep getting sat next to coworkers who play music too loud, chew with their mouths open, and sing at their desks, so my managers keep moving me to new desks where the same thing happens all over again. I don't feel like I'm being unreasonable asking them not to do these things. Like, I'll say "Please turn your music down" but people react like I said "Turn your music off." So how do I know when to give up and be good little doormat before I end up losing my job over this?

What is "reasonable" depends on the situation

How much financial money does it cost?
What are your job skills?

What is "reasonable" in one situation is unreasonable in a different one

"Reasonable" is generally relative to the size and resources of the company. It certainly doesn't mean "it has to be free".

If it's a big company with hundreds or thousands of employees, something like having a cubicle with taller walls installed would probably be "reasonable." Moving you into a corner, and/or waiving certain rules like "no headphones" that don't cost anything, and don't interfere with performing your job, I would think are always "reasonable."

One suggestion, though: Talk to HR first, and work out what's reasonable with them. That way you can discuss the issues without your boss trying to steer things towards what's cheap/convenient for them. I've already had a talk with our department's HR rep, and she basically said "come talk to me." We'd work out what needed to be done, and they'd handle the communication with my manager. Basically it comes through as "HR approved accommodation - do it and don't ask questions that will get us sued." (In general, always make sure HR knows that you have a disability, and what it is. This is really important if you get disciplined or fired for it - it will be too late then!)

This all assumes you're not working for a very small company, where the laws are different.

Also, if they DO just say, "screw it, you're fired!" talk to a lawyer immediately - you probably have a nice payday coming.

That's happened to me before at a different job, but I couldn't sue them because they gave a different reason on paper than the "we wouldn't have hired you if we knew you had Aspergers" schpiel they gave when they fired me.