Epilepsy and the Job Seeker's Dilemma
There’s a great deal we agree on when it comes to our
epilepsy. We need to get regular
sleep. Taking meds on schedule is a
must. It’s better for us to be open with
others about our condition. Back
up. Open with others? Here’s where the arguments begin. There are some people who have been
traumatized by others’ reactions to their letting people without epilepsy know
about their troubles and argue unequivocally for keeping silent. Others, such as I, fight to be open.
A more complex situation arises, however, when thinking
about whether or not to tell prospective employers about one’s epilepsy during
the interview. It’s a tricky one.
On the one hand, we know that employers legally can’t let a
disability such as epilepsy influence their hiring decisions. The only point they can consider is whether or
not possible seizures will get in the way of performing assigned duties.
But it’s not a perfect world with managers and HR
professionals bringing completely dispassionate thinking to the hiring
process. In the back of their minds, they
may have questions about what it will be like for your coworkers if you have
seizures. They may wonder if they’ll be
able to take care of you if you need them.
You may seem like “the other,” and they have a difficult time getting
themselves to relate to you. Then,
again, they may not. Is there any way to
tell which kind of person is interviewing you?
If you’ve never met them before, then you probably
can’t. The question then comes down to
whether or not you’re leading with your
ideals…
“I always should be honest about having epilepsy; it’s their problem if they don’t like it; I don’t want to work for
people who don’t fully accept my epilepsy.”
Or are you seeing this as more of a practical transaction…
“ I don’t know them and what they think of
epilepsy; I know I ‘m able to do the job, so I won’t mention it until after
I’ve started working; I need this job desperately and am not going to risk
discrimination, no matter what.”
I wish I could tell you that there’s a right and a wrong,
but there’s not. Personally, if I really
want a job and know I’m up for it, I wait until after I’ve been hired to tell
my manager, preparing him/her for what to do if I have a seizure. My meds control my epilepsy, and episodes are
rare. On the other hand, people I
greatly admire, ones who are guided fully by their ideals, wouldn’t think of
remaining silent about their epilepsy during initial interviews. They think it’s only fair to be open right
from the start and are willing to take the consequences of its possibly
standing in their way of getting the job (even on a subconscious level influencing
the interviewer).
Which kind of person are you? What are your circumstances? Can you afford to live by your ideals? Do you have enough fortitude to withstand
potential discrimination? Everyone is
different and is approaching the job search from a different perspective and
level of need to get the job. Alas, there
truly is no right and wrong. There’s
only you.
Be your own compass.
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