Disclosing your Disability

Telling your employer that you have a mental health disability is a personal choice. Community Connection will support you in this decision, and will be able to provide individualized employment services based on your disclosure. This decision is not black or white, and can be made at any time during the employment process. What does it mean to disclose your disability? Disclosing your disability to your employer will allow you to be protected under The Americans with Disabilities Act. If your employer does not know you have a disability, you are not protected.

Step 1

Making a decision to disclose or not to disclose. You have no legal obligation to disclose a disability, unless it is likely to affect your performance or ability to meet the inherent requirements of the job, including your ability to work safely and ensure the safety of co-workers.
When making your decision about disclosure, you should consider the following:

Possible Reasons for Disclosing

Disclosure may generate trust and an open relationship with your employer which may allow you to discuss the most effective workplace accommodations. If there is an on the job crisis related to your disability it may be difficult to implement work accommodations quickly unless you have disclosed your disability
If your disability impacts your job, an employer may perceive this as poor work performance
If your disability could reasonably be seen to cause a health and safety risk for other people in the workplace, failing to disclose that risk could be a breach of your obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Possible Reasons for not Disclosing

Your disability may have no effect on your ability to do the job and it is therefore not necessary to disclose
It may provoke unnecessary curiosity, concern and insensitive questions.

Step 2

Determine what information to disclose. If you choose to disclose your disability to your employer, determine exactly what information you will provide to your employer. When considering what information to disclose, remember that the only information you need to disclose should relates to:

Any reasonable accommodations required to ensure a fair selection process and/or how your disability may impact aspects of your job.
You do not need to disclose specific medical or personal information about a disability.

Step 3

Decide on when to disclose. There are many opportunities for you to disclose your disability to your employer. If you have decided to disclose your disability, you will need to decide when to disclose. There are many times that you may choose to disclose.

A. Prior to an Interview.

Disclosure prior to an interview may:

Enable you to have a frank conversation with the employer about disability issues in relation to the requirements of your job.
Enable you to be placed in a pre-arranged position with an employer who has previously worked with the Career Services program.
You can work together with your employer to determine whether work accommodations are required and/or whether support services are needed. This will allow the employer to make the necessary arrangements for setting up your accommodations.
Enable you to obtain information about the company's employment equality policies.
Enable you to obtain information about the company's support structures for employees with disability.

B. At Interview or after the offer of Employment.

Disclosure at an interview or after an offer of employment may:

Enable you to set up workplace accommodations that are necessary with evidence of your skills, abilities and ways for overcoming any implications of a disability
Increase access to appropriate employment supports which will provide the appropriate supports to increase your job retention
Enable you to obtain information about an organization's employment equity strategies enable you to obtain information about an organization's support structures for employees with disability
Enable you to obtain information about an company's workplace accommodations.

C. At the start of a New Job

Disclosure at the time of starting a job may:

Enable you to set up workplace accommodations that are necessary for you to do your job from the start.
Increase the responsiveness of employers and co-workers to your needs enable you to obtain information about an organization's support structures for employees with disability

Step 4

Talk to your employer.

The final step is to talk to your employer about the information you have decided to disclose to them.

When disclosing your disability to your employer:

Be clear and matter of fact about why you are disclosing and your desired outcomes from doing so.
Make sure that you are knowledgeable about your disability.
Discuss the impact of possible symptoms and side effects of any medication at the workplace.
Provide some options and strategies for workplace accommodations to make it easy for your employer.