By Sheena on Friday, June 30, 2000 - 12:18 pm:

I am unemployed and wondering how much to tell a prospective employer about my health. I was off work a lot in my previous job. I had 2 operations to remove my ovaries and gall-bladder. I was off sick a few times with general aches and pains which I put down to flu. I was then diagnosed with HMS and off with backache for some months. I would need a special chair to work at a computer (I am an analyst/programmer). I am 50 years old. Would you give me a job if I told you all this?

By Pam on Friday, June 30, 2000 - 08:51 pm:

I had similar concerns when I decided to pursue a new job. This is what I did, and although, after only one year on my new job, I was confined to work from home for 1 year, I am still employed because the work I have done has been good. First, did you have a previous job, in which your work was highly rated?? Do you have a reference that would confirm that you do quality work - despite the few times, you have been off, your work quality it always good. You can acknowledge that you have a genetic condition that requires you take certain precautions (special chair, etc) and that you cannot become excessively tired, but if you can produce previous job evaluations, other documents that show the quality of work,I know many employers who have hired individuals and worked with them. Given the type of work you do, you may even be able to work from home, which decreases the commuting stress, which can exacerabate pain, etc which leads to time off. Good Luck

By Meryll on Tuesday, July 04, 2000 - 03:55 am:

This is a difficult issue. Here in the Netherlands you are not obliged to tell an employer about your health. But in my case it was also difficult. I was not able to work for soooo long, then I started again, went wrong and so on and so on. Are you really fit enough to go back to work? You know, when I stopped working I found something new on the PC, with internet etc. At first it all went OK, but after a while it also was too much. So much for the "it will be OK if you do something you like" thought. This all is making me have to sell the my website. Tomorrow I hope to hear about that issue ;-(

But my advice: please make sure you really CAN and want to work. I have no idea if you have disability and if you can support yourself. Otherwise it is going to be difficult ofcourse. But if you work with the computer you might be able to find yourself something to do from home?

Good luck and take care

Meryll

By JAYNE on Saturday, August 19, 2000 - 02:20 pm:

I AM HAVING TO GIVE UP WORKING WITH HORSES DUE TO MY HANDS, WRISTS, ELBOWS AND SHOULDRES BEING SO WEAK AND PAINFULL. I HAD MY RIGHT SHOULDER STABILIZED LAST AUTUMN AND IT HAS NOT WORKED. HOW CAN I GET ANOTHER JOB? AS I CAN NOT TYPE AND WITH THE PROSPRCT OF ANOTHER OPERATION IN THE NEAR FUTURE I WILL NOT BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR A JOB.

By Barbara on Monday, January 15, 2001 - 10:22 am:

EDS Today featured employment issues in the second issue and will touch on it again with several articles in issue 4. Issue 2 dealt with accommodation and issue 4 will talk about job seeking. Visit http://www.uggen.net/edstoday/ for more information or write to edstoday@uggen.net

By lynne horeman on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 09:10 am:

i work as a barmaid.im pretty much on my feet all day.luckily i only work part time, days off give me a chance to rest although i have kids to run around after.the thing is, sometimes at work i really do hurt but its a new job and i dont want to complain.ive always had people see me as a hypercondriac and at the end of the day if i cant do the job my boss would have to find someone else.its a very small pub and sometimes im on my own for a bit.i didnt know everything about my condition when i started work, thats why i didnt tell my boss.i know he couldnt sack me for being ill, but its such a nice pub and i get on with everyone so well, i wouldnt want him or other staff suffering coz i need someone to cover me or whatever. im really worried i cant work though as i am supporting my kids and want to go to college.the thing is i am starting to have to take stimulants as i am getting so tired.everyone around me suffers.