A Medical Condition

Question

Last year, I was operated for Stage-3 Cancer. I went through radiations and Brachytherapy. Should I reveal this to my potential employers? Is a detailed summary ok? There might be random questions too? How should I go about it? Please let me know.

Rebecca Flowers · Answer

I personally wouldn't say anything unless you feel it's absolutely necessary. There's no need to share that type of information with anyone. Potential employers don't need to know and it's up to you if you want to share and how much.

Brookie · Answer

Congratulations on pulling through stage-3 cancer while also job searching. That is no walk in the park.

Do the potential employers you're looking into do business with the government? If so, they'll have a voluntary disclosure page where you can choose to say that yes, you have a disability, no you do not, or you choose not to answer. I actually had this predicament this very week!

I'm brand-spanking newly diagnosed with MS and have never applied before with this new reality. I wanted to know if it was actually to my advantage to disclose since companies have to show how well they do at employing people with disabilities, which you have. (Check the list below). One of my brother's is a director at a hospital so I reached out to him to see if it's somehow actually a good thing to disclose. He checked with the heads of his HR department and the gal said that not only does she also have MS, but that she chose to disclose when she applied for her current position. So it's up to you whether you choose to disclose or not, but since I thrive in an open and honest environment, I chose to disclose on my application yesterday when it asked.

If the job you're applying for does not have a disclosure page, then there's no need to disclose. If you're worried about the gap on your resume, you can say that you took a voluntary 2-year (or however long) Caregiving break, (hey, caregiving for yourself is as valid as caregiving for someone else).

You're protected through HIPAA so those 'random questions' you wondered about cannot legally happen. It may be worth also checking into your local Voc Rehab as they can help you with parts of the job process as well.

Hang in there! I'm right here with you. :-)

How do I know if I have a disability?
You are considered to have a disability if you have a physical or mental impairment or medical condition that substantially limits a major life activity, or if you have a history or record of such an impairment or medical condition.

Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Blindness
Deafness
Cancer
Diabetes
Epilepsy
Autism
Cerebral palsy
HIV/AIDS
Schizophrenia
Muscular dystrophy
Bipolar disorder
Major depression
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Impairments requiring the use of a wheelchair
Intellectual disability (previously called mental retardation)

Konan67 · Answer

and if any potential employer asks about your health situation that is a HIPPA violation

janlilly · Answer

They do not need to know your health history.  Even in the future if you have to use the family leave act for some medical interventional therapy.  Do not even share with your colleagues, this is your personal health history.   If you are concerned with the gap in your work history, there are  creative ways to document this.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you so much buddies. Love you all

A Medical Condition

You're invited.

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