Summary
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I need an accommodation to do my job?
- Can changes be made without me having to disclose my disability?
- Will the information stay private?
It is your choice to tell, or not tell, your boss and co-workers about your mental illness. You decide whether telling others will help you or hurt you. Start by asking yourself the following questions:
- Do I need an accommodation to do my job?
- Will an accommodation keep me from getting in trouble at work or losing my job?
- Do I need an accommodation to stay in good health?
- Can changes be made in my work setting without me having to tell anyone about my disability?
- If I tell, will it stay private?
- If I let people know about my disability, will people, including my boss, treat me differently? Do I want to risk losing privacy by telling people about my personal problems?
- Will an accommodation make my job more worthwhile?
If you have been out of work for a long time, you may feel like you should give a reason. You may want to talk about your mental illness. You may want to talk about it to explain why you’ve been out of work. Think carefully before you do this. If you tell people about your disability before being offered a job, the Americans with Disabilities Act may not protect you.
Remember that people are out of work for all kind of reasons. Most of these reasons are not because of a mental illness. If you feel you must explain why you’ve been out of work, you don’t have to give details about your health problems. Don’t lie. Other people have times in their life when they are out of work. They stayed at home to raise children. They may have cared for a sick relative. Some have written books and started a business. Other people have been laid off. If you decide to disclose your illness, you don’t have to give details. Just say, "I was getting over an illness. But, now I am well and ready to go back to work."
Summary
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I need an accommodation to do my job?
- Can changes be made without me having to disclose my disability?
- Will the information stay private?
It is your choice to tell, or not tell, your boss and co-workers about your mental illness. You decide whether telling others will help you or hurt you. Start by asking yourself the following questions:
- Do I need an accommodation to do my job?
- Will an accommodation keep me from getting in trouble at work or losing my job?
- Do I need an accommodation to stay in good health?
- Can changes be made in my work setting without me having to tell anyone about my disability?
- If I tell, will it stay private?
- If I let people know about my disability, will people, including my boss, treat me differently? Do I want to risk losing privacy by telling people about my personal problems?
- Will an accommodation make my job more worthwhile?
If you have been out of work for a long time, you may feel like you should give a reason. You may want to talk about your mental illness. You may want to talk about it to explain why you’ve been out of work. Think carefully before you do this. If you tell people about your disability before being offered a job, the Americans with Disabilities Act may not protect you.
Remember that people are out of work for all kind of reasons. Most of these reasons are not because of a mental illness. If you feel you must explain why you’ve been out of work, you don’t have to give details about your health problems. Don’t lie. Other people have times in their life when they are out of work. They stayed at home to raise children. They may have cared for a sick relative. Some have written books and started a business. Other people have been laid off. If you decide to disclose your illness, you don’t have to give details. Just say, "I was getting over an illness. But, now I am well and ready to go back to work."
Summary
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I need an accommodation to do my job?
- Can changes be made without me having to disclose my disability?
- Will the information stay private?
It is your choice to tell, or not tell, your boss and co-workers about your mental illness. You decide whether telling others will help you or hurt you. Start by asking yourself the following questions:
- Do I need an accommodation to do my job?
- Will an accommodation keep me from getting in trouble at work or losing my job?
- Do I need an accommodation to stay in good health?
- Can changes be made in my work setting without me having to tell anyone about my disability?
- If I tell, will it stay private?
- If I let people know about my disability, will people, including my boss, treat me differently? Do I want to risk losing privacy by telling people about my personal problems?
- Will an accommodation make my job more worthwhile?
If you have been out of work for a long time, you may feel like you should give a reason. You may want to talk about your mental illness. You may want to talk about it to explain why you’ve been out of work. Think carefully before you do this. If you tell people about your disability before being offered a job, the Americans with Disabilities Act may not protect you.
Remember that people are out of work for all kind of reasons. Most of these reasons are not because of a mental illness. If you feel you must explain why you’ve been out of work, you don’t have to give details about your health problems. Don’t lie. Other people have times in their life when they are out of work. They stayed at home to raise children. They may have cared for a sick relative. Some have written books and started a business. Other people have been laid off. If you decide to disclose your illness, you don’t have to give details. Just say, "I was getting over an illness. But, now I am well and ready to go back to work."