A Reader Asks: Should I Disclose My
Illness During a Job Interview?
May 9, 2006
By Rosalind Joffe
A reader asks:
I recently had a very disturbing job-related thing happen,
and it made me wonder about disclosure and other job
interview issues. I hope you can offer some insight.
The scenario:
I sent in my cover letter and resume (which rock, if
I do say so myself) to a children's museum, for a part-time
position for which I was completely and perfectly qualified.
The woman who received my resume left a totally excited
message on my voicemail. And I was sure I could work
it out even with the health stuff. We spoke on the phone
first and she was raving about my background and then
she asked, very pointedly, why I wanted part-time...
da-da-da-DUM.
(Background: the most limiting of my current diagnoses
are fibromyalgia, cervical spondylosis, and endometriosis,
which together yield chronic aches and pains as well
as two-week flares surrounding pre- and post-menses,
including intermittent acute abdominal and lower back
pains as well as fatigue/muscle weakness. My pain is
generally controlled with pills and alternative methods.)
The disclosure:
I played it down, but I was basically honest and said
that I had some chronic health stuff and was lucky that
my husband was employed and I could take it a little
easy. She got all weird and pushed to know what I "had"
so I told her "arthritis in my neck." Although
not the full story, it is true, and (I thought) benign
enough not to elicit too much of a reaction. Au contraire,
mon frere! She got so weird -- I would even say rude,
saying "ARTHRITIS, at YOUR age?!?"
She then told me that she thought I should re-apply
when I was "feeling better." Last I checked,
arthritis doesn't go away! It made no logical sense.
I replied, "Most likely, there won't be a problem
- I'm sure that if we met we could explore it to see
if the job would be possible." She totally squirmed
out of it and that was that. I was so freaked out, not
to mention sad, angry, and confused.
The aftermath:
I guess I felt like maybe she was right because it might
be too physically demanding for me. Over the past year
I've seriously reevaluated my strengths and limitations.
Having volunteered at another children's museum, I decided
that work in a children's museum would be a perfect
alternative to working in a full-time early childhood
classroom like I had done before (and perfect with my
background, as the interviewer had even said), so I
figured I'd better not burn my bridges!
I thought, I'll just try to volunteer there instead
and make a niche for myself. I also felt like, what
the hell can I do about this? I just moved to this city,
I don't want drama, and anyway, I have to get used to
these kinds of things, these kinds of inflexible people,
and just let it go. But it's still totally lingering
and I think I need to talk about it with someone who
might have some personal experience, insight, and advice.
It seems to me that it was my right to be seen and at
least have some accommodations attempted...it might
not even have been necessary! Plus there weren't even
any physical requirements listed on the job description.
Is there anything I could have done differently to
increase my chances for an interview? How would you
suggest I handle situations like this in the future?
Rosalind Joffe of CICoach.com responds:
Let’s look at this from this point of view: What
can you learn from this?
1. When you’re applying for a job, complete honesty
is good but disclosure is unnecessary. Say as much as
you need to but no more than you have to. Why tell her
about your physical or financial situation? It was inappropriate
for her to get into this line of questioning so early.
If it happens again, respond with, “Because it
fits my needs at this time.” Honest but open-ended.
2. Regard an interview as a two-way street. You are
interviewing as well as being interviewed. This woman
said several things that tells me that she wouldn’t
be a good fit for you. Her inappropriate questions and
comments helped you avoid a needless trip to an interview.
What’s the likelihood you could have or would
have wanted to work for her?
3. Be clear about why you are applying for a job.
An interviewer doesn’t have any real idea of your
physical capabilities. It’s your responsibility
to know why you want a job and whether you can do it
so you can sell yourself properly. That’s often
not clear from a job description and it takes an interview
to learn enough to evaluate it.
Finally, keep trying. Interviewing takes time and
you’re developing your skills as you do it, particularly
around how to handle the issues that come up while living
with a chronic illness.
Editor’s Note:
Although a particular question may not be illegal per
se, if an interviewer asks a question with discriminatory
implications and you believe that you were denied employment
based on your answer, you may have legal recourse.
It is important to note
that in order for employment discrimination to apply,
the situation must be in violation of a specific state
or federal statute, regulation, or constitutional provision.
For example, if an interviewer doesn't hire you solely
because of your disability, but you are capable of performing
the job for which you interviewed, employment discrimination
would apply. If you have reason to believe that you
were subjected to discrimination during the hiring process,
you may file
a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC). You may choose to consult an attorney first
to determine if that is the best course of action; a
state law might provide better protection.
To read the EEOC notice,
“Enforcement Guidance: Preemployment Disability-Related
Questions and Medical Examinations”, please visit
www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/preemp.html.
For information about discriminatory practices, please
visit the EEOC website at http://www.eeoc.gov/index.html
and select “Discriminatory Practices” from
the menu on the left.
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Reprinted with permission of ChronicBabe.com |
