Disclosure- to tell or not to tell?
Disclosure of a mental health issue
Should you tell a potential employer that you have, or have had, a mental health problem?
What about if you get a job - how many people at work should you tell about your mental health?
There are no easy answers or solutions that work for everybody. Indivudal differences in employers, jobs and people seeking work mean that you have to decide what to disclose depending on your own situation.
Advantages of disclosing
Paritas works with employers and provides them with expertise and resources that will enable them to promote well-being in the workplace and support their workforce. This means that if you disclose your health problem the employer will be supportive and know how to make adjsutments for you. In addition the advantages of disclosing are
- Protection under the Disability Discrimination Act (1995)
- not having to worry about being ' found out'
- able to receive support and understanding if you becom unwell
- increased self-confidence
- challenge people's negative perceptions of mental health problems.
''without people like you, people like me would feel far more on the margins of society''
Disadvantages of disclosing
You may be worried about being treated differently and discriminated against. You may also feel that you are not being judged on the basis of your ability to do the job.
Don't forget thought that it is illegal for an employer of colleagues to discriminate against you in the workplace. If the do you could be protected by the Disability Discrimination Act.
Facts
If an employer does not ask you about your previous health history you are under no legal duty to tell them anything.
If however they do ask you - either verbally during interview or (more commonly) by asking you to fill in a medical form- giving an untrughful answer can lead to problems.
In particular, if you are later found to have lied to your employers or deliberatley misled them it could be treated as gross misconduct', which can justify dismissal from the job. You should therefore consider carefully how you answer this question.
Points to remember
Think what an employer needs to know i.e whether your mental health has any impact on work
Think what an employer wants to know i.e that you are ready and able to do the job.
It's your decision
Only you can decide. If you choose to disclose talk to paritas about how your manager should be supporting you in the workplace.