Hi,
i have aves been offered a job and I’m unsure if to disclose I have ms? I have been offered the position and now I have to do a questionnaire on my health, what’s everyone’s opinions?
Hi, I would be honest with them and inform them about your ms Just incase something happens in the future at work
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Hey Tyler. How are yer ? I guess it depends on how you are and what you’re doing. When I was first dx, I’d had time off. (Vision) The guy was a dick though, so I ‘hadn’t had my results through’. Eventually I left… next job I did eventually. Trusted him not to freak out. He didn’t really, but made everyone aware in case I combusted. Next, told them after 7 1/2 years during a very deep curve. Hated job/life/marriage. Dark thoughts. Took it well, very supportive, all the right noises. Six months later… a change in attitude towards me. More corporate, less me. I walked. This job, not yet. Not till I have to. The irony of it is in the last decade, I’ve been off about 10 days, mainly down to colds, but twice because my wife was ill and I had to look after my boys. I have LESS time off than a ‘well’ person… I guess just play it by ear. If they’re dicks, possibly not, but if their heads are out of their butts then yes. Good luck anyway ! Take care, Andy
Hi, I think it depends what your employment is.
If it is manual/physical and there is a risk to you or another employee, you will have to disclose this, in case something happens.
If your role is less physical and you seem to appear that your MS is not obvious, I would hold back and think about it first.
Get an idea of your capabilities first, see if the job suits you, get an idea of what your manager is like, if the work is to much for you, simply say its either not for you and leave, so as to gain a reference for future applications or disclose to your new employer and see what happens, they may make reasonable changes to your role, if your doing a good job and they want to keep you.
Andy
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It also depends who your employer is. If it’s a big company or public services then I would disclose as they are likely to employ a person with a disability already.
They are then able to discuss reasonable adjustments from the outset.
look at their website to see if they have the 2 ticks to show they actively promote their awareness to disabilities.
is their a reason why the questionnaire is needed?
all the best.
Neil
Hi All
I have been off work since Aug 2013 with MS and OA.I told my HR Dept then .They have kept my position open so I can return if my health allows.
Graham
What exactly is the nature of the form, and do they make clear what they want to know for, and whether answering is compulsory?
If it says something to the effect it’s for equal opportunities monitoring, and will only be seen by HR, that seems entirely reasonable.
Also, how is it worded? If it says something like: “Do you consider yourself to have any disability?” it is intentionally giving you the freedom to answer as you see fit, because how you consider yourself is an entirely subjective judgement - one person might think asthma is a disability - another might not. So the important thing if it’s worded that way is you cannot be accused of lying, because only you know how you consider yourself. It’s not asking a fact - it’s asking your opinion, so whatever you decide to put, it cannot be wrong.
If, however, the form is clearly about health and safety, and asks is there are any known health issues that may impact your ability to do the job, and could pose a risk to yourself or others, I think you would be duty bound to disclose. Even if you feel fine at the moment, having a degenerative neurological condition might be a safety factor for some types of work - e.g. if you were climbing pylons or something. It’s unlikely to be an issue for most desk jobs, but might be if you were an air traffic controller or something!
Tina
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You don’t have to volunteer information, but if you are asked directly (as you have been) then you do need to be straight with them. There are legal limits on what they can do with that information; for instance, they could not easily withdraw the job offer, in most cases.
Congratulations on the new job - I hope it is a great success.
Alison
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