Disability Disclosure in the Workplace?

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IF your disability affects your ability to do your job (and that includes following your schedule, dealing with coworkers, etc.), and IF there is something that would help you do your job without costing too much or changing the job, then you should disclose your disability and ask for a reasonable accommodation. Usually you would go to the HR dept. Your employer can ask you for a doctor's note about what you need on the job (not details of the disability). Getting a new manager isn't a reasonable accommodation, but HR might be able to talk to your managers about strategies for working with people with your disabilities.

A good start would be to talk to your doctor, or a therapist or social worker about strategies for dealing with the managers and controlling your panic. Your university employment center might have a counselor who could help with the situation, for example, by coaching you through what to say to managers about needing time for exams. Another good resource is the Jobs Accommodations Network which has strategies for different kinds of disabilities....Show more

First, I think you need to see a doctor or psychiatrist and get on some medication. If you explain the situation the doctor can probably prescribe something for you to take short term while you are at work. Personally, I would seek treatment before I told anyone at work. If you benefit from the treatment, then there is no need to disclose it. Treatment will help you in the future if you are looking for another position, as there will be no reason to disclose something that you have control over. I have bipolar disorder, and worked for many years without disclosing it to my employer. It's been my personal experience that it is much better not to disclose such information, especially to a prospective employer. That will almost guarantee you won't get the job. Medication to help control my disorder is what saved me, and I think treatment is your best option. Telling the one manager is not likely to help you, in my opinion....Show more

What I feel is that it's important to communicate it if it's effecting your work performance. If you do communicate it, I believe it's also important to tell them your plan of action to improve the situation. If you need an accommodation, such as time off for therapy, you'll have to communicate it. I don't know if those two would be bad enough to be considered protected in the ADA sense. I don't think GAD and ADHD are particularly scary so I doubt you'll experience much discrimination with it. Other mental illnesses there is a lot of discrimination against and those I'd probably recommend keeping the mouth shut unless you absolutely had to....Show more

Ask the doctor for anti-anxiety meds. If they work your problems may be over, or much reduced. I understand the best time / place to disclose a disability is during the interview, but if you are in a competitive society, you may wish to conceal it....Show more