Disclosing MS On the Job: Why I Did, and Why I Didn’t
The question regarding disclosure of your MS at your workplace is really a lot more complicated than simply deciding to ‘fess up.
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The question regarding disclosure of your MS at your workplace is really a lot more complicated than simply deciding to ‘fess up.
A little background
I was diagnosed with MS two weeks before I completed training to become a sleep technologist. When I applied for, and was offered, my first job, I wondered: Who should I tell? Anyone?
Obviously, my goal upon finishing the program and getting certified was to get a job. That would require me to sit through medical board exams as soon as possible upon graduation. A job already awaited me on the other side of that milestone. I just needed to interview for it.
But I was still learning how to deal with my new diagnosis while managing a job requiring me to work 12-hour overnight shifts. Would I be able to handle all this?
Here’s the dilemma
On the one hand, MS is unpredictable. I originally saw the doctor because I went through a short period when I was unable to read (alexia, a form of aphasia).1 That’s not exactly good news when reading is part of most job descriptions!
I was diagnosed with MS two weeks before I completed training to become a sleep technologist. When I applied for, and was offered, my first job, I wondered: Who should I tell? Anyone?
Obviously, my goal upon finishing the program and getting certified was to get a job. That would require me to sit through medical board exams as soon as possible upon graduation. A job already awaited me on the other side of that milestone. I just needed to interview for it.
But I was still learning how to deal with my new diagnosis while managing a job requiring me to work 12-hour overnight shifts. Would I be able to handle all this?
Here’s the dilemma
On the one hand, MS is unpredictable. I originally saw the doctor because I went through a short period when I was unable to read (alexia, a form of aphasia).1 That’s not exactly good news when reading is part of most job descriptions!
On the other hand, I was fatigued but functional. I’d been given a good prognosis. I’ve probably had MS since age 10. At age 47, my disease course suggested slow progression without treatment. With treatment, serious progression seemed even less likely. (True to form, I’m still in remission.)
The risks of disclosing my MS at work
Would disclosing my MS risk my job prospects? Would failing to disclose leave me helpless during an unexpected MS flare? What were my legal options?
While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits workplace discrimination against people with MS, there are no guarantees it will be enforced.2
Meanwhile, the job market remains an unfriendly place. Many who need job-specific accommodations fear stigma and bullying if they disclose, often hiding their conditions (like I did) out of self-protection.
What I did, and did not, do
Ultimately:
I interviewed for the job (literally the same day I started Tecfidera). I didn’t disclose my condition at that time.
I was offered — and accepted — the job.
Normal onboarding through the hospital human resources (HR) department meant I faced reams of paperwork included questions about physical capacity to do the work and medical conditions for which I may need accommodations. This is when and where I disclosed my condition.
I started my new job and sat for — and passed! — my boards over the next two weeks.
I didn’t disclose my condition to anyone in the lab until months after I finally left the overnight shift for more sustainable work.
While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits workplace discrimination against people with MS, there are no guarantees it will be enforced.2
Meanwhile, the job market remains an unfriendly place. Many who need job-specific accommodations fear stigma and bullying if they disclose, often hiding their conditions (like I did) out of self-protection.
What I did, and did not, do
Ultimately:
https://multiplesclerosis.net/living...-work-reasons/
The question regarding disclosure of your MS at your workplace is really a lot more complicated than simply deciding to ‘fess up.
Accessibility
https://multiplesclerosis.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/MS-living-disclosing-job-work-reasons-1080x412.jpgDisclosing MS On the Job: Why I Did, and Why I Didn’t
https://multiplesclerosis.net/wp-content/uploads/avatars/175991/b84ffb0273cfd84cb3f161e40587e298-bpfull.jpg
The question regarding disclosure of your MS at your workplace is really a lot more complicated than simply deciding to ‘fess up.
A little background
I was diagnosed with MS two weeks before I completed training to become a sleep technologist. When I applied for, and was offered, my first job, I wondered: Who should I tell? Anyone?
Obviously, my goal upon finishing the program and getting certified was to get a job. That would require me to sit through medical board exams as soon as possible upon graduation. A job already awaited me on the other side of that milestone. I just needed to interview for it.
But I was still learning how to deal with my new diagnosis while managing a job requiring me to work 12-hour overnight shifts. Would I be able to handle all this?
Here’s the dilemma
On the one hand, MS is unpredictable. I originally saw the doctor because I went through a short period when I was unable to read (alexia, a form of aphasia).1 That’s not exactly good news when reading is part of most job descriptions!
I was diagnosed with MS two weeks before I completed training to become a sleep technologist. When I applied for, and was offered, my first job, I wondered: Who should I tell? Anyone?
Obviously, my goal upon finishing the program and getting certified was to get a job. That would require me to sit through medical board exams as soon as possible upon graduation. A job already awaited me on the other side of that milestone. I just needed to interview for it.
But I was still learning how to deal with my new diagnosis while managing a job requiring me to work 12-hour overnight shifts. Would I be able to handle all this?
Here’s the dilemma
On the one hand, MS is unpredictable. I originally saw the doctor because I went through a short period when I was unable to read (alexia, a form of aphasia).1 That’s not exactly good news when reading is part of most job descriptions!
On the other hand, I was fatigued but functional. I’d been given a good prognosis. I’ve probably had MS since age 10. At age 47, my disease course suggested slow progression without treatment. With treatment, serious progression seemed even less likely. (True to form, I’m still in remission.)
The risks of disclosing my MS at work
Would disclosing my MS risk my job prospects? Would failing to disclose leave me helpless during an unexpected MS flare? What were my legal options?
While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits workplace discrimination against people with MS, there are no guarantees it will be enforced.2
Meanwhile, the job market remains an unfriendly place. Many who need job-specific accommodations fear stigma and bullying if they disclose, often hiding their conditions (like I did) out of self-protection.
What I did, and did not, do
Ultimately:
I interviewed for the job (literally the same day I started Tecfidera). I didn’t disclose my condition at that time.
I was offered — and accepted — the job.
Normal onboarding through the hospital human resources (HR) department meant I faced reams of paperwork included questions about physical capacity to do the work and medical conditions for which I may need accommodations. This is when and where I disclosed my condition.
I started my new job and sat for — and passed! — my boards over the next two weeks.
I didn’t disclose my condition to anyone in the lab until months after I finally left the overnight shift for more sustainable work.
While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits workplace discrimination against people with MS, there are no guarantees it will be enforced.2
Meanwhile, the job market remains an unfriendly place. Many who need job-specific accommodations fear stigma and bullying if they disclose, often hiding their conditions (like I did) out of self-protection.
What I did, and did not, do
Ultimately:
- I interviewed for the job (literally the same day I started Tecfidera). I didn’t disclose my condition at that time.
- I was offered — and accepted — the job.
- Normal onboarding through the hospital human resources (HR) department meant I faced reams of paperwork included questions about physical capacity to do the work and medical conditions for which I may need accommodations. This is when and where I disclosed my condition.
- I started my new job and sat for — and passed! — my boards over the next two weeks.
- I didn’t disclose my condition to anyone in the lab until months after I finally left the overnight shift for more sustainable work.
https://multiplesclerosis.net/living...-work-reasons/
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