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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Health disclosure to work in secondary school

90 replies

Creamdonuts · 21/05/2017 16:24

Invited to an interview for a post in a secondary school
It's for a receptionist position in a private school
Looking at this does it mean they want all my GP notes?
Leaves me slightly concerned as when I was a late teenager my mother passed away and at the hospital I threatened suicide and needed a physciatrist report and some counselling although counselling was arranged through work not GP.
Will this show up even though I'm now in my 40s?

Health disclosure to work in secondary school

OP posts:

lougle · 23/05/2017 08:04

If you're lying, you're lacking integrity. I'm not going around in circles. If a job is given subject to medical clearance then you have to give the information asked truthfully. If you don't want to do that, don't take the job. Simple as that.

Roomster101 · 23/05/2017 08:05

The way the medical questionnaires work is absolutely fine. All information remains confidential and cannot be shared without your consent anyway, so I don't see the issue.

How do you keep information confidential but at the same time make "reasonable adjustments" if necessary or decide someone can't do the job. By definition surely everything is only confidential if there is no need to do anything about it in which case what is the point of someone declaring it in the first place.
I agree with DingDong01 that it should be up to the person applying as to what information they provide.

You can obviously lie on your questionnaire, but it absolutely is not in your best interest to do so. I do know of a role where someone lied, adjustments hadn't been put in place, they ended up injuring themselves and also lost their job. If they'd be honest, alternative duties may have be found.

Or quite possibly he wouldn't have been employed in the first place or employed past the probationary period. Many employers would want to employ someone who could only do certain duties.

DingDong01 · 23/05/2017 08:05

How much clearer can subject to medical clearance be?
Well, if information was made available as to what information was required, and what conditions they would be looking out for, then it would be a lot clearer. Trouble with doctors and nurses is, they want you to give them a load of information, but they don't like reciprocating by giving information back.

Roomster101 · 23/05/2017 08:05

would wouldn't

DingDong01 · 23/05/2017 08:07

You can obviously lie on your questionnaire, but it absolutely is not in your best interest to do so.
It is up to the data subject about what is in their best interests, not OH

Roomster101 · 23/05/2017 08:10

I prefer my current strategy which means I have been employed for the last 25 years and had a good career unlike a friend who was more honest than me and ended up being discriminated against. I don't feel at all guilty if that means I meet your definition of lacking "integrity"...

DingDong01 · 23/05/2017 08:13

I can understand that it may make you anxious. I feel anxious every time I fill in an OH form because I have to declare my childhood psychologist attendance, my childhood diagnosis of exercise induced asthma, my two episodes of chronic fatigue syndrome and my chronic migraines
You don't have to declare anything. You are making an informed choice. Perhaps because you've got a proven track record within your industry, you don't have to be as fearful about what the disclosure could do. Other people aren't as lucky to be in that position.

DingDong01 · 23/05/2017 08:18

where integrity and honesty are essential characteristics for a role.
Withholding information could also demonstrate integrity and honesty, and it displays an ability to understand and respect privacy and confidentiality

Original poster

Creamdonuts · 23/05/2017 10:51

I agree with the honesty required, it's just a grey area when not diagnosed with any type of mental illness but a situation that caused an issue

OP posts:

WaitingYetAgain · 23/05/2017 14:26

a questionnaire is sent asking if you've ever had mental health issues

In my opinion, your situation would come under mental health issues rather than a diagnosed condition/illness. So, I'd expect you to declare it.

I've actually had OH contact me during the process of being interviewed for a casual/bank hours type job on the basis of my questionnaire answers. They wanted me to see an OH doctor for a medical, and as the job was casual with no guaranteed hours, I just declined and looked for a job that didn't require medical clearance or that I knew my disabilities would not impact (e.g. no physical element).

DingDong01 · 23/05/2017 14:33

I just declined and looked for a job that didn't require medical clearance
In which case you may just as well tick 'no'!

hula008 · 23/05/2017 21:31

Some employers will not employ people with certain medical conditions because they do not want the hassle of making reasonable adjustments

So what happens when you need the reasonable adjustments? An employer will say "you should have disclosed this illness when we employed you" and dismiss you on grounds of capability.

WaitingYetAgain · 23/05/2017 22:06

I just declined and looked for a job that didn't require medical clearance
In which case you may just as well tick 'no'!

@DingDong01

Well actually, I filled in the form as part of the application pack, not expecting my health issues to be a problem. I was stable at the time. I'd previously worked for the same institution and had passed the medical clearance, so I had no expectations of it being an issue. I wouldn't have bothered if I had thought it would require me to see a doctor in another city (expense involved, difficulty getting there as I was unable to drive etc).

When they required me to see a doctor, I weighed it up and decided not to bother as it wasn't a permanent or regular hours type job. It was after I had attended an interview and so I'd already got a feel for whether I'd even want the job, if that makes sense. After that, I decided to adopt the new strategy of picking job adverts that did not specify that I'd need to get medical clearance as it was easier for me and them.

Roomster101 · 24/05/2017 07:53

So what happens when you need the reasonable adjustments? An employer will say "you should have disclosed this illness when we employed you" and dismiss you on grounds of capability.

If you do require adjustments then obviously you need to disclose the illness and hope for the best. As I didn't need adjustments to do my job I kept quiet to avoid discrimination.

FuckingDingDong · 24/05/2017 09:59

So what happens when you need the reasonable adjustments?
It's irritating when people respond to the thread without actually understanding what the issue in the OP actually is

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