Since hanging my shingle as a “chronic illness career coach”, the question I get asked most often is: “Should I disclose my illness when interviewing for a job?”
Naturally, as a coach, I have more questions than answers. But there is one guideline I’ve found is worth following:
If symptoms get in the way of doing the job as it is expected to be performed and it will be obvious from the day you start, you should disclose.
But there’s more to consider. I discuss the pros and cons of chronic illness disclosure in your job as well as when, how and what to say in my book, Women Work and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working Girlfriend and in my booklet, Are You Talking, part of the Career Thrive Series.
But a reader’s comment on a blog post (Job Interviews and Disclosure) made me realize that there’s another important factor. She wrote that the fine print of her employer’s insurance policy says that you can be fired or excluded from medical coverage if you don’t disclose an illness in advance.
I don’t think that all insurance policies say this. But how do you find out prior to hire? The “negotiation” phase make sense. This is when you’ve been offered the job and can ask questions and negotiate your “demands”, including seeing information about any benefits policy. I’d be curious if any readers have asked about this at that point?
But that doesn’t answer the real concern a person might have about losing the job offer with disclosure. I don’t have to tell you that there are no guarantees. But as I’ve written so many times, you can be as prepared as possible with strategic thinking and careful planning.
Consider the situations in which this issue might come up. Plan what you would say about living with this illness in an interview, a job negotiation or once hired. Include how it impacts you and how it doesn’t. Finally, stress that you have managed it successfully in your work life thus far. Your confidence and strength will resonate more strongly than their concerns.
And if your confidence about working with illness feels weak, get the help you need to build it up so it doesn’t get in your way!
Emily says
Something to consider are “self-insured” group plans where the employer is the insurer. I’m afraid there are discriminatory hiring practices out there that would be very difficult to discern because the self-insured employer does not want to incure the expense of a chronically ill employee.
I have known people to cover up an illness and pay all expenses out of pocket for a couple of years so the employer (who is also the insurer) does not know about a chronic illness. Many states exclude self-insured plans from legislation that mandates coverage in large groups.
This is definitely an area that could use some attention from lawmakers!!!
Rosalind says
Good point, Emily. There are so many loopholes in this system and areas where things can go wrong. Thanks for pointing this out.
Sean N. Bean says
I found you on twitter, I’m @AZDenn… and have been intrigued by the concept of your web page ever since… Due to the state of the collapsing economy I am now once again looking for work. I have been out of the workforce for the last 7 years, and some months in change. As a long time landscaping and garden center manager I have chronic back pain, but always went to great lengths to never document my injuries. Looking back now I wonder if that was a mistake…
This particular post makes me wonder what I should bring up should anyone respond to any of my job applications. I am seriously considering applying for Social Security Disability, seeing as I am not getting any bites on my job applications over the last 18 months…
Rosalind says
Hi Sean – You said you’ve been out of work for 7 years – all due to the economy or some due to your pain? It’s hard to get SSDI for back pain, especially without medical documentation I’m wondering why you never documented the pain – were they due to injuries or medically related conditions? Is it possible to find some kind of work that you can do even with pain? That might be a better long term plan. Good luck.