Would somebody walk me through some of the pros and cons of disclosing mental health diagnoses to employers?

I've read several times here that it hasn't worked out well for the people who have disclosed. Has it worked out well for anybody at all?

What about "reasonable accomodations"? Assuming a person decides to disclose, and decides to ask for accomodations, what are some examples of reasonable accomodations?

The background: My husband has decided to find a different job. He's not happy with where he works, and they're cutting his job anyway, and the replacement position they offered him would bore him to tears. This is his first job change since his diagnoses - ADHD, depression, bipolar, OCD, etc.

If he chooses to disclose, and chooses to ask for accomodations, he's thinking of asking that changes to his work process be given to him in written form, instead of verbal. He processes and remembers things that he reads so much better than things he hears. Is something like that reasonable?

What other words of wisdom can you give about telling/not telling an employer?

ADHD is recognized by the ADA (American disability A...something). And so, laws exist for employment and schooling (things like mandating more time on tests for kids with ADHD)

But I know very little on the topic, other than the fact that whether or not you mention it may have a consequence on your defense if you get fired and attempt to fight it.

Also, I think it really depends on who the boss is. If it's a big company, perhaps just disclosing it to a human resource rep would be enough. The HR person may be able to keep it confidential and work with his manager without mentionning it.

There are LOTS of negative biases about mental disorders, so disclosing such things has to be done carefully.

A boss wouldn't want to hear this:
"Hey, so, I was recently diagnosed as a psychopath and schizophrenic. I take meds so really, I won't go and kill your wife and kids with an axe or anything."

Just a sidenote: Have you had your husband tested also for Auditory Processing Disorder? It's a learning disability that makes it difficult for people to comprehend things that are told to them. I don't know a lot about it but there's stuff on the Internet. My niece has it and I know that often people with ADD can have a learning disability too.

I have OCD and I'm Bipolar as well. Hang in there and if you guys ever need anyone to talk to let me know. :)

Thanks! I know it's covered under the ADA, but I hear it's so much harder to prove impairment or discrimination on a mental disability than a physical one.

I mean, it's pretty easy to prove whether the doorways are wide enough for a wheelchair, but not so easy to prove whether the workplace is quiet enough for someone distractable. Does anybody know of any objective measures for stuff like that?

bekahboo - he's not been tested for auditory problems, but it wouldn't surprise me. He's still trying to acclimate to the diagnoses he has, OCD was just added a few weeks ago and he hasn't decided if he's going to accept it yet or not. A tough time to be job-hunting!

Anybody else?

I'd love to hear more people's thoughts about whether it's a good idea or a bad idea to disclose an issue (or issues) like ADHD to an employer.

i think its a good idea to disclose it in case anything does go wrong while you are at work or if you have a tendency to be late, bored or distracted easily. If you are already working at a place, I'm pretty sure you can't get fired for a disability, that would be prejudice or whatever u call it. If you dont have a job it would make it a little more tricky, especially if its a well sort after job. If you were a boss and could chose between a fully-qualified worker without ADHD or one with ADHD...what would you choose? Alot would choose the one without it because of the stigma that goes along with ADHD and the reliability factor.
Then again if you weren't tell him and he found out you had ADHD after you worked there a little while, that might not be a good look either.
tough to decide really..

Diane, if you husband is formally diagnosed and a doctor will back him up on it then he has to sit down and tell the head of HR that he has ADHD and wants to work out reasonable accomodations to make sure he performs his job at his peak.

There may be a formal process that happens after that but once he informs them he is protected by the ADA.

If he really wants to keep the job and make it work he needs to emphasize that his sole intent for disclosing this information is that his job changed and he wants to make absolutely sure he has what he needs to do this NEW job to the best of his ability during a turbulent time at the company.

I was one more misstep away from a pink slip when I was finally diagnosed. I also found myself in uncertain territory....which was worse - telling my employer and risking becoming a "whiner" in a world where many do not understand this as a real disorder or disclose and hope an enlightened attitude would emerge so that some things could be better understood.

I chose to disclose. So far it has been a good decision. I read that it was only advisable to disclose to HR but I work at a huge company - not only do I not even know who my HR rep is, a slip of paper floating around my personnel file wasn't going to help my immediate supervisor gain better understanding to the problem and help me to become a better employee.

So this was my strategy...verbally and in writing I informed my immediate supervisor that I was formally diagnosed with ADHD by a qualified professional. I never actually provided anything from the MD but advised that this is possible if necessary. After that the approach was somewhat tricky but has worked so far. Luckily my boss has a younger brother that battled ADHD. Unluckily he is Type A+++, and from all observances does not make mistakes and has never been one second late for a deadline (okay this is an exaggeration but the man comes damn close). So I explained to him that I was being put on medication and was strenuously attempting to address the specific issues that were affecting my work. I asked for very little accomodation - Only to take more breaks than average with the provision that I would work later to make up my time. I also warned that there may be a day every once in a while where I have a very unproductive day (let's be realistic - these happen stimulants or no stimulants) but that I would work on a weekend day or over regular hours to make sure work was caught up (I work on salary so overtime wasn't an issue). This one was tricky because he is a major stickler about not wasting ANY time on the clock. I sit in a cube, but noise was never really a distractibility issue for me anyway - for me it was always the Internet. So I budget time at breaks to surf the net and if I become tempted - I get up and take one of those walks I built into the plan.

What happened after that - amazing things that I believe most employers would discover if they took the time to learn about this problem and work a bit with the ADHD employee. My work picked up 300 percent. Adderall certainly kicked it off and has helped but now that some of the pressure is off and I recognize the obstacles I face - I am doing all the work I couldn't get done before plus have taken on new and more complicated work. Because I have been able to take new pride in my job, I have also taken ownership in it and make absolute sure all is complete and of the utmost quality - even if I have to take extra time on the days when I am spacey and distracted.

I am now a year past the date when I made the disclosure. I am getting ready for a performance evaluation and since my history is known, I was able to comment in my pre-evaluation that there are still some residual issues I need to address (mainly time-management "Ack this is the toughest for me") and that I intend to start working more on the behavior modification side of things with my doctor. The initial disclosure has made me able to work through a gradual improvement plan with awareness on the part of my supervisor which I believe will be pivotal to my advancement within the company.

I would be lying that I this is all hunky-dory for me....I am an intensely private person and I truly hate bringing up personal medical issues with my supervisor. But if it is between that and being released from a position with a large company in which I have invested 7 years, where I earn a decent salary and where I hold my family's only medical benefits....well.....it's pretty much a no-brainer.

That said....this issue is tricky and each situation should be evaluated as individual - it's always a good idea to do research on legal rights and best practices before making any major moves like this in a place of employment (especially when - like for me - the stakes are so high).

What happened after that - amazing things that I believe most employers would discover if they took the time to learn about this problem and work a bit with the ADHD employee. My work picked up 300 percent. Adderall certainly kicked it off and has helped but now that some of the pressure is off and I recognize the obstacles I face - I am doing all the work I couldn't get done before plus have taken on new and more complicated work. Because I have been able to take new pride in my job, I have also taken ownership in it and make absolute sure all is complete and of the utmost quality - even if I have to take extra time on the days when I am spacey and distracted.Well, a good grasp of the English language is definitely not one of your need to work on areas. Thank you for sharing your success.

If he chooses to disclose, and chooses to ask for accomodations, he's thinking of asking that changes to his work process be given to him in written form, instead of verbal. He processes and remembers things that he reads so much better than things he hears. Is something like that reasonable?


I almost forgot....wanted to reply to this as well. From what I have read...and I am certainly paraphrasing...that an accomodation is reasonable if it does not cause undue hardship, financial or other, to regular business practices.

For instance....I absolutely cannot be on time for anything. I WILL be late for my own funeral. So......because I have to get my daughter off to school in the morning, plus not forget my laptop, plus make sure I don't leave the house unlocked, plus not run out of gas on the way to work, etc, etc (did I also mention that I keep the hours of a vampire and react to morning light like one also LOL.....I asked my boss for an hour grace time for arrival to work in the AM....I have until 9AM to be considered on time - the official office start time is 8AM. Because I can work until 6 or later and do not function in a position where I must be present to support others - this causes the firm no hardship whatsoever. If I worked at a retail counter or as a bank teller where I had to be ready to wait on a customer at 8AM - that wouldn't fly - the employer could quite legally tell me "no way". As far as the written direction example - I can tell you from experience that could be considered reasonable - because I am the same way. There are always times when I have to function around this but I have told my supervisor that written instruction for me is always best and we have worked out very non-invasive ways to accomodate that. Same with meetings...is there anyone out there with ADHD that would rather get a root-canal than sit through a 2 hour meeting? There are some meetings I HAVE to attend and I have strategies ready for that.....but I told my boss the following...and let me tell you this gets results - I didn't say - "I can't stand meetings....I am bored to tears and am ready to run from the room." I said "I believe I could be much more productive to our group if I am only present at meetings where I am needed to make a contribution. Since I am much more responsive to written data rather than verbal, I could spend regular meeting time doing other work and then catching up after in about ten minutes by reading the meeting minutes." It got me off the hook "whew" and also related to him that the new solution is much more time-effective and productive.

From experience it seems the litmus test is all about not causing interruption to regular business practices and requesting small but meaningful changes and accomodations. And above all - remain flexible - make requests...not demands. If something you run by the boss doesn't fly...there may be another approach but if you keep the attitude that you are willing to work with him or her and that the most important thing is that the work is getting done and common goals are being met....it will usually be quite easy to find common ground.

My Job Coach told me to disclose in writing, not verbally.


And to only disclose if the benefits outweigh the risks.

----------

From an HR perspective, it is hard to comment w/o knowing much about your Husband's JOB, and how "ADD" and "depression" affect him.

(Not all ADDers are the same. A phrase like "he has ADD" or "he has depression" doesn't tell us all we need to know to comment. One ADDer will be great at something that another ADDer flubs.)

What deficits does his Testing show?

e.g.

auditory processing issues?
working memory deficits? Can't remember multistep instructions that he hears or reads?
Sequencing problems? (gets things mixed up?)
executive function deficits? (problems prioritizing? problems with multiple competing deadlines?)

---------

re: his job

What is his job's role or title ?
What are the daily tasks and responsibilities? (e.g. what percentage of time/day does he spend doing Task X, Y and Z.)



What specific challenge/s at work is he struggling with? What sort of deficit/s does he feel he should disclose?
What accommodations can be made to help him keep/improve his ability to do the job better?
Does there exist an Accommodation for his deficit/s?

Well, a good grasp of the English language is definitely not one of your need to work on areas. Thank you for sharing your success.
You always seem to pop up will a much-appreciated compliment! Good to see you. :)

You always seem to pop up will a much-appreciated compliment! Good to see you. :)You sweet thing, you! :o Hey, I'm a voracious reader and I love good writing wherever I find it.

I wouldn't say i have ADHD. I'd disclose it as Executive Function disorder or something.

ADD is often mentioned in the news in relation to bad things: e.g. "kids with ADD shot up Columbine", etc.

Since you can't educate the whole world (about the 20-30% of ADDers who have comorbid antisocial sub-types; not US), I find it better not to use the term ADD. *shrug*

I wouldn't say i have ADHD. I'd disclose it as Executive Function disorder or something.That's definitely something to think about and probably why I hesitate to formally disclose my ADHD to my employer. That's also why I'm exited to read of a positive experience with an employee successfully disclosing their AD/HD and asking for reasonable accomodations. To the future! :cool:

Wow.. hello everyone.. I was diagnosed this evening (ADHD, anxiety, and something along the lines of a poor auditory processing disorder/problem). I wanted to just see what others with this were speaking of. The only reason I thought I might have an issue with paying attention to detail was because of little office tasks that were appearing to be more complex than they ought to be. I need to know how to get this out to my boss as well...i get verbal instructions a lot and I screw up..I was so frustrated about this a month or so ago. I have a sense of relief I guess but please continue to add your 2cents! :)

I have an MS in Human Resources and worked in both employment and compensation and agree very much with tlv822. The interviewing/looking for a job phase is very different from actually having a job. I know in our company, which was a fortune 500, they would do background investigations on all applicants. On the application it asks for convictions of crimes, but I can assure you that almost no one who was ever arrested (not necessarily convicted) for any kind of felony was ever hired, regardless of the outcome.

Quite honestly this is a hard subject. If you are already employed and ask for accomodations I see it as a whole different subject than trying to get hired. I think once you are hired, and it seems like it's becoming an issue then disclose. I would also have to caution that in many companies they are still somewhat backward in their HR practices and you may not get the response you expect. If the compnay you work for seems fairly progressive then I think it is possible to disclose with positive results. I would also make sure your HR Rep knows as many managers are ignorant of reasonable accomodation stipulations.

If you are looking for a job you run the risk of basically lying to them on the application, which is grounds for dismissal (many would probably tread very lightly here but nonetheless). They will, in may cases, find some other reason that you were not an acceptable candidate aside from your dissability.

I advised my mother whos is ADD that when she applies and has to fill out an application they generally ask, are you on any medications? I told her to state Straterra or Ritalin, or whatever she was on. I would not necessarily explicitly disclose the disability but in essence you have in identifying your medicaton, without necessarily putting up a red flag on your application.

I know it sounds roundabout and I so whish we lived in a perfect world were everyone did the right thing but I've heard too many horror stories about terrible HR departments that have know idea the correct (and legal) way to handle such issues.

Quite honestly this is a hard subject. If you are already employed and ask for accomodations I see it as a whole different subject than trying to get hired. I think once you are hired, and it seems like it's becoming an issue then disclose..I would agree 100 percent. If I was out on the job market, there is no way I would disclose this up front. Competition is difficult enough as it is and ADHD in the adult population is too misunderstood right now. Not sure how I would handle it once I got the job....would probably have to feel out the situation.


I advised my mother whos is ADD that when she applies and has to fill out an application they generally ask, are you on any medications? I told her to state Straterra or Ritalin, or whatever she was on. I would not necessarily explicitly disclose the disability but in essence you have in identifying your medicaton, without necessarily putting up a red flag on your application
WOW...is that legal???? That amazes me. Or is it just certain professions? I worked in HR briefly at a small firm a million years ago and the things that are changing have really, really bothered me. I think they are getting WAY too invasive with what is allowed.....nothing is private anymore. I work at a construction firm but I work at corporate in a huge office. We have a drug testing policy for the entire firm. For those on the construction site - GREAT! Safety is first and we don't need anyone operating heavy equipment on drugs....but office personnel? Now obviously I don't take illicit drugs but now that I think about it...I haven't been called up in a while and I would have been forced to disclose my Adderall usage....at least to HR - if I didn't want them to think I am an amphetamine abuser anyway. To me that is a big invasion of privacy and an overwhelming waste of corporate funds. You don't need random testing to see if an employee is a problem drug abuser - their behavior and lack of work ethic will tell the story. At the very least - use the law enforcement method - reasonable doubt. Test someone if you have reason to believe they are abusing - though I am sure that gets into another whole different set of laws.

The other thing that REALLY burns me...Credit checks. Unless you work in a position where you will be responsible for the firms $$$$ - how could this possibly be any of their business. This is where law truly discriminates against the ADHDer. I have definite credit blips from my pre-Adderall days. We all know this doesn't make me a slacker or necessarily irresponsible - it makes me ADHD. But now I am better - am medicated and have a handle on things but I have bad credit marks that will hang onto me like a bad cough for seven years! When a prospective employer sees that - all they see is bad credit - not the reasoning behind it.

I truly hope there is a big movement in the future by our community to get things like this abolished. An employer has the right to know if you are qualified for the job and to check things that are pertinent to job performance - not get into your bank statement or your medicine cabinet. Things that are that private are too subjective to be just disclosed as a black and white issue and used as a qualifying/disqualifying factor!

The other thing that REALLY burns me...Credit checks. Unless you work in a position where you will be responsible for the firms $$$$ - how could this possibly be any of their business.Many years ago I attended a workshop for small business owners and employee credit checks came up. The speaker told us that it was important to know what an employee's debts were. If they were for a mortgage, car, etc. that's normal, but if your employee was getting stressed out because of gambling debts owed to loan sharks, it would affect his job performance. Don't ask me how you know or learn the difference, but it made sense at the time.

Whenever a discussion about disclosure when applying for jobs comes up, I always remember the words of a worker's comp. employment counsellor to a handicapped client: for every one hundred applications you fill out (these were the days before formal resumes), you will be lucky if you hear from one employer. This was said at a time of high employment when there were lots of jobs available for the choosing. The client he was speaking too finally threw in the towel, didn't disclose his handicap, was hired for a well-paying job he knew he could manage and only disclosed his disability when he left the job several years later.

Catch22: worker's comp. expects many full disability pension clients to supplement their income and only pay them a percentage of their actual wage loss. If you disclose your disability to prospective employers, they may not bother to interview you. So worker's comp says you are employable even with your disability, but you often have to lie to get a job. :eek:

As my job was hanging by a thread, I had to disclose to my boss last week. I constantly late, and it was really becoming an issue.

This morning he told me he'd contacted HR and they had "some ideas" but he was still talking to them, so he would tell me later. He did say that they probably will want a letter from my doctor to document my ADD. I told him that wouldn't be a problem. I was curious about the "some ideas" but later it occured to me that he doesn't want to say anything until he gets the all clear from HR, because he doesn't want to accidentally say something illegal.

He's basically a good guy, but a total stickler for people keeping set hours -- even though that's totally irrelevant to our office and business.

Does any one have suggested language for the letter from my doctor? I specifically need accommodation about arrival times in the morning. I've also had some issues with forgeting to do things, so my boss and I are going to try to set up regular (daily or weekly) reviews.

I'm also looking for a new job. This is just not a good job for me. My boss has known I'm looking, so when I disclosed I talked about these issues. But I have no intention of disclosing to people I'm interviewing with for a new job. After I have an offer in writing, or after I start, I'll probably talk to the new employer about accommodation. But no way will I do it before. I'm having enough trouble finding a job without that. LOL.

I was diagnosed just over 3 months ago, and I work in HR. I'm just over a year out of college, so I don't get up to my elbows in employment law just yet. So I cannot speak about this issue from the HR side. However, I disclosed to my manager as soon as I was diagnosed. This was primarily because of the trust I put into my manager, and the trust she instills in our team. I felt that by disclosing more good than harm could come of it. I just made her aware of my diagnosis and to have her let me know of any sudden behavior changes or work quality changes she might notice. Everything has been just fine since.

I will note, however, that I was not in danger of losing my job and I was not receiving poor performance reviews. However my decision to seek a diagnosis did come from a sense of being overwhelmed by so many things to do while at work. I disclosed because I trusted my manager. If there is not a sense of trust in the person you would disclose to, then maybe you would want to start somewhere else. Many employers offer an Employee Assistance Program that is a company provided benefit for counseling and disorders. Something like that might be of assistance.

I am now seeking outside employment and had the notion cross my mind as to whether or not disclose anything in the job seeking process. I've decided not to, mainly based on the fct that the only reaosn I disclosed to my current manager was because there was a strong sense of trust.

when i got hired i told them i was adhd the only problem is they wouldnt let me do some stuff thinking i was not capible of doing it and the good part was everytime i got in trouble i never got to punished for it cause they knew it wasnt my fault really and the only problem i get speacial task and things to do and they do reasons i didnt finish some stuff is cause i was adhd the store manager hes son was adhd also so he knew whats going on with me but i said after i got hired but then came another store manager and it was same but little diffrent but my salon manager she kept saying i should quit cause im not capabile for the job in dog grooming

Well, I thought that I could trust my boss and I did disclose and that has been the biggest thing I have come to regret in my life. Well, lets just say that they flushed my trust in them down the tubes.

My bosses are now making my life a living hell by just avoiding me and not listening to what opinions I have. Also, thanks to my boss getting fustrated at me and yelling at me in front of a few coworkers about my condition that I wanted kept private, now all of my co-workers know. My co-workers are now making insensitive comments about me being "crazy" and things like that and my bosses pretty much just let them walk all over me but if I defend myself, I am being the difficult one and getting in trouble.

Heck, just this week, I was falsely accused of taking a longer lunch than I did and my boss pretty much gave away the fact that one of my co-workers has been watching my every move.

If I had just one piece of advice for anyone here, that would be to not tell anyone other than your family. You can not trust anyone outside of your family to have your best interest at heart nor can you count on them to at least understand. This world is a very cold one and a very uncaring one. In the end though, only you know what the right thing is to do.

I thought that I did, but boy was I was wrong.

Xavier I did the same thing at my last job wich was with at an investment firm. I trusted both my boss and the woman in HR (she was very understanding and genuine about it, I can spot a fake act trust me). I talked to them both around mid summer last year about it and I had just started medications and seeing a psychiatrist for them. I asked for a small schedule change that I KNEW wouldnt burden my department. She did accomodate, for about a month and 1/2 but then demanded on my second performance plan that I go back to my regular hours, and was NOT allowed to work past my shift (even though I didn't even put in to be paid for them!!!).


In addition: 1. It wasn't unreasonable request (after all, a former grade school student of my boss was working 7am-3pm then working another job she knew about) 2. My boss not only made the comment to me in one of our meetings 'you seemed to be better without medication' she proceeded to make my life hell by having EVERYTHING I did checked. 3. I would also work through lunch but not put in for the hour to be paid and stayed late to double check that I wasn't screwing up. 4. Wasn't allowed to ask anyone questions except for the 2 people who worked under her and they were to report to her with anything.

My boss, after putting me a performance plan once, put me on another one and I wasn't even on the second one a day or 2 when I woke up in the middle of the night and had a major breakdown. I didn't go into work the next day, but I was in for a ride when I went in the next day: I arrived at my desk, gave my secret santa recipient his gift (it was 3 days before Christmas last year) and seconds later got an email from my boss to meet in the HR woman's office. They sent me walking, but I got unemployment. I still have mixed feelings about it all, and I did ask for a schedule change from 8:30-5:30 to 9:30-5:30 because of different medications.


Im not even going to go on because it was a nightmare and cannot believe I put myself through it. I wanted so hard to keep the job, and it would have been 3 years this past April, but I was clearly unhealthy-unhappy. I couldnt even sign the paperwork thats how upset I got in the HR office and my boss was asked to leave while I stayed with the HR woman. I will never forget it. EVER.

When someone at work told the boss he had ADHD, he was sacked not that long after. He had a few behaviour problems although I had seen much much worse and they didn't get sacked. The boss said he didn't trust him.

He was actually the best worker and very creative like me. I've done some stupid things too and he trusts me, his number one apparently. I'm not saying anything, I don't even trust myself.

In the U.S.A, the ADA prohibits private companies (15 or more employees), governmental entities, employment agencies and unions, from engaging in employment discrimination against qualified applicants/employees with a disability. Check out the www.add.org (http://www.add.org) Article: AD/HD and the Law by Robin Bond to see if you can overcome the hurdles of substantial limitation, essential functions, reasonable accomodation not resuting in an undue hardship to the employer, etc. Check with a lawyer before disclosing, or threatening to sue for discrimination or retaliation.


Consider not disclosing if:
You're new on the job (you really don't know them and vice-versa)
You're aware that they've discriminated against others
You can obtain accomodation without disclosing (e.g., I work best in a quiet room, with clerical support, with written instructions, etc.)
You can cope with your weak areas and don't need accomodation, or
You're performing adequately or betterConsider disclosing if:
You know they'll probably discriminate and are ready to do battle
You need specific/multiple accomodations to perform and you can't get them without disclosing your disability (in confidence) to HR
You have a history of disability-caused performance deficits that are significantly hurting your employment anyway, or
You're about to be firedWeigh these factors and the other circumstances of your situation, and go over them with your counsellors before taking action.
Hope this helps.

I'd like to add that if an employer discriminates against you because of ADHD, then you need to get in touch with a lawyer.

I'd like to add that if an employer discriminates against you because of ADHD, then you need to get in touch with a lawyer.


In a former job I once casually mentioned to my boss that I thought I might be ADHD and wanted to try to rearrange my workflow to make myself more effective. Within a month I got a "performance plan" for the first time citing my alleged lack of focus. (Incidentally, it didn't name any concrete criteria I was failing to meet -- just "lack of focus".) What should I have done to protect my legal rights here?