I was diagnosed with rrms 28 th sept 2010. I have fiercely protecting my diagnosis except to relevant people I.e DVLA and travel insurance. I didn’t tell anyone at work. Feeling they would think well what’s the problem you look ok. Not understanding hideous invisible symptoms of hideous bladder and bowel problems and fatigue. Now the situation has changed as management are wanting to mess around with my job. Currently 5 days a week at one hospital. They are wanting to move me to 3 days a week at one hospital and 2 days a week elsewhere. This is causing me great distress and anxiety with the result that my spasms have increased resulting in pain. Seen GP who has prescribed baclofen. Another bl…y tablet with anxiety about possible side effects. What I am going to ask for is to leave me 5 days a week at my current hospital where I feel happy and safe and do a good job. Hopefully my spasms will subside and worst case avoid a relapse. I do feel guilty for playing the MS card. Upsetting their plans for the hospital. But hey we do what we have to do. My GP thinks what I am asking for is reasonable adjustments. Fantastic MS nurse is on my side too. Also got a fantastic 24 hour counselling service who I have just unloaded to Why does MS have to be such a battle??? Also have fantastic support and advice from my friends here Thanks for reading Hugs and tears Min xx
hi min
please don’t cry.
you wont get if you dont ask so bring your concerns up with your boss.
make yourself aware of the legislation that employers have to follow
i’m sure they will agree with you
good luck
carole x
I think its very important to disclose your health in order to get the support you need to work comfortably. I was diagnosed in 2004 and have to say though my symptoms have been invisible up.until last year I always made people aware. Mainly cos if anything happened I didn’t want to face a load of gossip, questions etc. I have found my managers to be very understanding esp of late. I have a reserved parking space plus my current manager is trying to get me home working. She highlighted that I do need to acknowledge I have a disability and this has to be recognised at work so they can ensure under the DDA I am supported. It also means that when I had a bad relapse leaving me with damage the amount of time off is not questioned like it would be had I not had m.s or not disclosed it. I do feel foe me it has made things easier when im having a bad time. I don’t feel I need to worry about reactions at work etc and my colleagues are very good. I do work in a service however where we assess people with conditions such as m.s so this may make a difference Hope my post reassures you but I do think being open is not necessarily a bad thing and in the long run makes thing easier for you, well hopefully x
I think its very important to disclose your health in order to get the support you need to work comfortably. I was diagnosed in 2004 and have to say though my symptoms have been invisible up.until last year I always made people aware. Mainly cos if anything happened I didn’t want to face a load of gossip, questions etc. I have found my managers to be very understanding esp of late. I have a reserved parking space plus my current manager is trying to get me home working. She highlighted that I do need to acknowledge I have a disability and this has to be recognised at work so they can ensure under the DDA I am supported. It also means that when I had a bad relapse leaving me with damage the amount of time off is not questioned like it would be had I not had m.s or not disclosed it. I do feel foe me it has made things easier when im having a bad time. I don’t feel I need to worry about reactions at work etc and my colleagues are very good. I do work in a service however where we assess people with conditions such as m.s so this may make a difference Hope my post reassures you but I do think being open is not necessarily a bad thing and in the long run makes thing easier for you, well hopefully x
I think its very important to disclose your health in order to get the support you need to work comfortably. I was diagnosed in 2004 and have to say though my symptoms have been invisible up.until last year I always made people aware. Mainly cos if anything happened I didn’t want to face a load of gossip, questions etc. I have found my managers to be very understanding esp of late. I have a reserved parking space plus my current manager is trying to get me home working. She highlighted that I do need to acknowledge I have a disability and this has to be recognised at work so they can ensure under the DDA I am supported. It also means that when I had a bad relapse leaving me with damage the amount of time off is not questioned like it would be had I not had m.s or not disclosed it. I do feel foe me it has made things easier when im having a bad time. I don’t feel I need to worry about reactions at work etc and my colleagues are very good. I do work in a service however where we assess people with conditions such as m.s so this may make a difference Hope my post reassures you but I do think being open is not necessarily a bad thing and in the long run makes thing easier for you, well hopefully x
I think its very important to disclose your health in order to get the support you need to work comfortably. I was diagnosed in 2004 and have to say though my symptoms have been invisible up.until last year I always made people aware. Mainly cos if anything happened I didn’t want to face a load of gossip, questions etc. I have found my managers to be very understanding esp of late. I have a reserved parking space plus my current manager is trying to get me home working. She highlighted that I do need to acknowledge I have a disability and this has to be recognised at work so they can ensure under the DDA I am supported. It also means that when I had a bad relapse leaving me with damage the amount of time off is not questioned like it would be had I not had m.s or not disclosed it. I do feel foe me it has made things easier when im having a bad time. I don’t feel I need to worry about reactions at work etc and my colleagues are very good. I do work in a service however where we assess people with conditions such as m.s so this may make a difference Hope my post reassures you but I do think being open is not necessarily a bad thing and in the long run makes thing easier for you, well hopefully x
I think its very important to disclose your health in order to get the support you need to work comfortably. I was diagnosed in 2004 and have to say though my symptoms have been invisible up.until last year I always made people aware. Mainly cos if anything happened I didn’t want to face a load of gossip, questions etc. I have found my managers to be very understanding esp of late. I have a reserved parking space plus my current manager is trying to get me home working. She highlighted that I do need to acknowledge I have a disability and this has to be recognised at work so they can ensure under the DDA I am supported. It also means that when I had a bad relapse leaving me with damage the amount of time off is not questioned like it would be had I not had m.s or not disclosed it. I do feel foe me it has made things easier when im having a bad time. I don’t feel I need to worry about reactions at work etc and my colleagues are very good. I do work in a service however where we assess people with conditions such as m.s so this may make a difference Hope my post reassures you but I do think being open is not necessarily a bad thing and in the long run makes thing easier for you, well hopefully x
I think its very important to disclose your health in order to get the support you need to work comfortably. I was diagnosed in 2004 and have to say though my symptoms have been invisible up.until last year I always made people aware. Mainly cos if anything happened I didn’t want to face a load of gossip, questions etc. I have found my managers to be very understanding esp of late. I have a reserved parking space plus my current manager is trying to get me home working. She highlighted that I do need to acknowledge I have a disability and this has to be recognised at work so they can ensure under the DDA I am supported. It also means that when I had a bad relapse leaving me with damage the amount of time off is not questioned like it would be had I not had m.s or not disclosed it. I do feel foe me it has made things easier when im having a bad time. I don’t feel I need to worry about reactions at work etc and my colleagues are very good. I do work in a service however where we assess people with conditions such as m.s so this may make a difference Hope my post reassures you but I do think being open is not necessarily a bad thing and in the long run makes thing easier for you, well hopefully x
Oops not sure how I posted three times x
No worries - thanks for all of your replies Min xx
Hi Min,
For what it’s worth, I really think you’re doing the right thing, and I don’t think them being “miffed” has anything to do with it. Disclosure of health issues is entirely voluntary (in most work situations, anyway, though not where there are safety implications). They have no right to feel “miffed” you didn’t tell them - especially if you were managing fine, and it didn’t affect your work.
But now things have changed, and you’re no longer “managing fine” - or at least, you can’t go along with everything they’re expecting, without it causing problems for you. I don’t think it’s relevant whether you told them before - you were perfectly within your rights not to.
But you DO need to tell them now, before things get out of hand, and you are accepting work you cannot physically do.
Personally, I did disclose before things even reached that point, as I wanted to make sure I had the full protection of the law as early as possible. They’re not expected to be psychic, and to accommodate a medical condition they don’t know about.
As it happened, I got made redundant anyway, but as it was along with more than 600 other people, the rest of whom didn’t (as far as I know) have MS, I think it would be clutching at straws to claim it was in any way related to my health.
Tina
x
Hugs and thanks Tina. The support and understanding I get from this site is amazing. I do not feel so alone. More hugs Min xx
I work in freelance as I lost my job last year but would never dream of disclosing my situation as that would be curtains for me. My leg is now playing up something rotten so I’m sure I will get busted fairly soon.
Back again!!! Been reading around this subject to disclose or not to disclose. I have already disclosed to Occupationla Health. I think that OH can send my manager a report that I am disabled and need reasonable adjustments. But not my diagnosis. These reasonable adjustments are… So therefore I do not need to disclose the nature of my disability. Just that I am disabled but still safe to do my job. Also reasonable adjustments … What do you think am I making sense??? Hope I’m right. Just don’t want my mangers to know. What’s wrong with you you look perfectly fine not understanding invisible symptoms etc Min xx