Job Interview - signed off ill - tell or not?

[rosenylund]

Posting for traffic.

Job interview today (eek). I'm in my fourth month of being signed off with stress/depression in relation to my current job.

Would you mention this in the interview unprompted, or wait to see if offered the job? My sister feels I should bring it up myself. I feel I should wait and see if offered a role. As a manager myself, I've only had this come up once whilst interviewing - I just told the person not to worry about it for now, and forgot about it until I offered them the job and their ref. came through.

Any thoughts?

You should not lie if asked a question - but if you are not asked, no need to specify.

If I were interviewing, and someone said this, it would be a definite no from me.

Granted, I am not in the public sector, or a unionised environment.

Maybe larger employers are more sympathetic - but I doubt it.

Unfortunately the stigma surrounding this type of thing is so great that a lot of people tend to avoid treatment, and 'self medicate' instead.

Thinking further, we do ask for a medical questionnaire to be filled in.
Again, best not to lie on these.

Well I didn't get it so it was moot anyway.
Blueteapot how did you get on?

I'm now sobbing packing up my little flat to move back in with my parents, who are on the verge of splitting up. At age 36. Got nothing left.

Oh OP. So sorry to see that you're feeling so low. Do you want to talk to us more about it? 36 is not the end of your life, although I understand where you're coming from 100%.

Can't pay the rent now as no more ssp from work. This was my 6th interview. I want to cut out the part of my brain that makes me depressed, that has ruined my life.

Whilst I feel for you I agree with a pp that stress related to depression is highly unlikely to be about the environment you are currently in (although it is easy to 'blame' the current role) and although you think it will change when you go to a new environment, you need to sort out the underlying cause. As an employer of 100+ people I would hear you fairly but I would want to know that you were doing something about it beyond saying the last job was just too stressful for you. You'll presumably have to declare your depression on a health questionnaire once you have accepted the job and I get pretty annoyed if the person has not declared it previously and then it becomes an issue. If it doesn't then fair enough but leaving one job and thinking a new one will sort it imho and experience really doesn't. We would also declare that you had been off sick for whatever length of time if we were giving you a reference - pretty much most companies do that as the minimum now.

Claim universal credit. You should be entitled to it if you are on low income. That may pay your rent too.

I would encourage you to go to the GP and see if you can do something about the underlying cause. Absolutely no reason you can't be in work and enjoying it. Maybe temp work would help in the interim and then the last job becomes less important

I'm under the gp, attend every month, see a counsellor. My current job has eroded my confidence. In summary, I confronted my boss about an affair and my life wasn't worth living since that moment. The stress triggered this episode. I desperately want to work.

That's as much as I can say without outing myself. I was a manager with lots of responsibilities, did my job well if I say so myself.

An affair that your boss or someone in the team was having that is forbidden under your industry rules?

I was diagnosed with clinical dep. early 20s and generally managed it well. But there have been occasions like this when I crash, and couldnt do with work. One of my team died from cancer in the summer and that really sent me over the edge.

Once you get a new role the stress and depression will lift if that is the root cause.

Sign on with agencies. Chase them up daily til they are fed up and give you an assignment to get you off the phone.

Check on entitled to .com and see what help you can get

I've known my boss for years, went to his wedding. His affair with a colleague.

Thank you for all replies by the way, appreciate it so much.

So I have another interview on Tuesday but debating whether to go, was surprised to get an interview as felt job was out of my league. I'm at a real low confidence wise and not sure I can go through with it.