Be honest -you wouldn't employ a person with certain mental health issues, would you?

[sportmax]

That's ludicrous- if they're competent and fit for the job - of course I would. That's what I imagine most people would say.
But I don't think people are really being honest with themselves.

What if the person had a mental health issue like social anxiety, would you still want to hire them? Probably not.

As someone with anxiety and other disabilities I can really relate to the "we don't discriminate" bullshit

And the so called "disability confident" employers are just as bad

I’ve hired people with MH issues in the past, but experience has taught me sick leave and relationships with colleagues can be an issue, so I’d look into that at interview and referencing. They would be my concerns, rather than social anxiety.

I’ve had this response from every single interview for eight years. They word it slightly differently but the underlying meaning is the same: You wasted your time and money getting qualifications because you’re not extroverted enough. I can only get minimum wage jobs where they’d hire anyone who was breathing. It’s devastating because after all that hard work you’re scuppered by factors beyond your control.

You need classes in am-dream - then treat a job interview as a performance. Some of the shyest people I know are teachers, and actors, but it's all projection.

As a hiring manager, I think a lot about this - I hire for very customer-facing roles where running large meetings at customer premises is a must. I've hired 30 people in the last 2 years, and those who succeed in the role are often extroverts - but there are exceptions, and I have a couple of introverts who don't really participate in the office banter / general chat / project team type stuff, but when they're in their zone, talking about their area of expertise to their customer (who needs that expertise), they work really well.

The - very very hard - trick is detecting in interview someone who doesn't respond well to an "interview" format but who will actually perform well at the job, and someone who doesn't do well in an interview because of nerves/unease with the situation but who would also bring that to the job.

The crux of the matter is that hiring managers don't have 50 different ways of knowing what a candidate is like - especially external candidates rather than those already in the company, so it's really worth investing in as much preparation as you can afford to learn to do an interview well, even if it goes against the grain for you

I would be concerned about sick days when employing someone with any health condition at all so would probably avoid it if I could to be honest

How good you are at interview is not a good example as to how good you'll be at a job unfortunately. Lots of people end up in positions they can't do/are unsuitable for as they're "good at interview". It's very frustrating, I get nervous at interview but I have absolutely tonnes of varied experience and loads of positive testimonies and feedback about my work. I've missed out on 2 opportunities recently as I forgot to mention a couple of key things at interview as my head went into a tangle. However put me in a meeting with senior level safeguarding and commissioners and I can more than hold my own and get the outcome I'm looking for. The whole interview process is flawed there has to be a fairer way of recruiting people imo.

@hazell42 that's very interesting about your receptionist. As I say we would think twice but your experience shows there are ways round it. I do think someone like the programmer I described earlier would not apply for a receptionist job so to an extent there is some self selection

I have suffered with social anxiety for the last 20 years. I have never missed a day from work because of it. It's my anxiety so while I am dying on the inside and my fight or flight is being triggered a few times a day I am still able to conduct and present myself to the world in a professional manner. You would never know by looking at me that I have it so bad.

What i do find is that I have much more empathy for other people and so am very good at my job. I know that people can be suffering on the inside but that it may not show on the outside so I always treat people with kindness and respect even though my job requires me to make tough decisions.

I work full time have a professional qualification, have an evening job and have 5 children. I excelled in my exams and I am well regarded at work. Why would you not employ me?

I know someone with anxiety. I asked her to stay for the weekend. I wouldn’t invite her again although she keeps hinting.

She held a managerial role in her last job, and was very upset because her team members complained about being called at home by her to discuss projects. She wouldn’t stop doing it so they went to HR.

Life is one long worry to her - she must be a nightmare to work for. When the company she worked for needed to reduce staff, she was one of the ones they let go.

I don’t blame them.

I think it very much depends on the job and also the mental health condition. I, personally wouldn't employ anyone with BPD or NPD in a job where relationships with clients and colleagues was important

I have an employee with social anxiety, and we make allowances, she's brilliant at her job and I'd employ her again in a heartbeat. (It took time to convince HR it was the right hire).

Have you disclosed your anxiety to prospective employers?
If you do disclose you follow up with how you have strategies in place to deal with it etc.
If you don't disclose then I guess they will assume it's nerves. Many people come across nervous even when they don't have an anxiety diagnosis.
I wouldn't assume that someone who was "nervous " in an interview would be rubbish in the job. Confidence in interview does not automatically equal great at the job or a good fit for the team.
I used to manage a team that included someone with diagnosed OCD, someone with PTSD (regular panic attacks and time off for therapy) another with major depression. Myself and other manager worked hard to put things in place to minimise people having problems. If you know the issues and triggers you can mitigate a great deal.
We had more trouble with the over confident members of the team.
I'm sorry you are feeling so disheartened but the right job is out there for you. Just keep going.
Could you try working on your interview technique?
I hope something comes up soon.

Depends on the job and the disorder. A friend of mine works for a major supermarket on the tills. She is bipolar.

She was hospitalised a couple of years ago as she had a bipolar crisis.

She was extremely worried about her job when she came out. Her boss came round to see her at home with a huge bouquet of flowers and a box of her favourite chocolates to tell her they'd squared it with head office that she didn't have to worry about sick leave (she lives alone) - it was all sorted. They arranged for her to come back to work one day a week to start and gradually move up to full time or, if she preferred, they'd sort out part time work for her if that's what she needed.

It took her 10 weeks to get back to her work schedule - she decided to go part time because she feels the extra day or two off helps her manage her condition. Her top boss helped her apply for benefits to eek out the pay difference.

They allow her the time she needs for consultations and keep a very good eye on her. In fact, her team leader began to notice a few signs a while ago and had a word with her which prompted her to go back to her GP for a medication review. She's worked for them for 15 years plus now.

Some places just try harder and value the person rather than look at the disability or disorder. But it does depend on the job.

I think the key thing here is whether the condition is 'managed' so if through therapy and or medication the employee is able to function and perform at work then there should be no issue.

My concern is this is some mental health conditions are chronic lifelong conditions often with flare ups (when external stressors impact mh) which unfortunately can lead to long periods of absence (due to poor access to immediate treatment) or under performance. I have also found that with mh issues there is often a lot of denial and prolonged periods of deterioration before treatment is sought.

I would be concerned about sick days when employing someone with any health condition at all so would probably avoid it if I could to be honest

Then you'd be very wrong. I've been obese since childhood, with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes (for the last 25 years), and I have severe social anxiety.

I've never had more than the odd day off work in the last 36 years. Just the occasional day off for cold/flu, the occasional GP/hospital appointment (maybe 1 or 2 per year in work time), no hospital admissions. No, I tell a lie - I had a day off once for a minor surgical procedure as a day patient which was the removal of a lump/cyst on my head that was nothing to do with my health conditions and was back to work the next day.

I was the employee who was always there every Monday morning when the "extroverted" staff would call in sick (after a heavy weekend of partying!). I was the employee who covered for other (supposedly healthier) staff when they were off for various long term conditions.

*Then you'd be very wrong. I've been obese since childhood, with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes (for the last 25 years), and I have severe social anxiety. I've never had more than the odd day off work in the last 36 years"

exactly- which would show on your employment records/ references- employers use these too surely- not just how someone presents/ what health issues they have?

It honestly depends on the job. If it's clear you are going to need a lot of additional accommodation, training and support, but there are plenty of other candidates who have the same skillset but can just get stuck in, then it's not unreasonable for employers to prefer the other candidates: they have to consider the business as a whole, which includes their existing employees.
If you sit in the initial interview whining and making demands, they are going to decide that (unless your skills are exceptional) you're likely to be more trouble than you're worth. If you start by selling your good points and only mention towards the end that you have X issue and outline the way you manage it so it doesn't cause additional trouble for others then potential employers will be more impressed.

depends on the job!

For some role, I need people who are very confident, and can stand on their own 2 feet in all situations.
For others roles, I need people who are friendly and quiet, or I need very smart individual who analyse and write reports, I really don't need extroverts there.
I have to keep it vague, but the point is there's no negative in being more suited to one type of role than the other. Both are needed.

On top of having the right qualifications for the role obviously.

Would I willingly employ someone with known issues that can cause a lot of absence and will make them miss a lot of work? Of course not, I can't.

If your anxiety is apparent at interview and causing you to interview poorly then you need to address that and get some coaching. They aren't discriminating against you for a mental health condition at this stage, it's up to you to improve your technique and demonstrate your ability to do the job. They can only base their decision on your interview, how are they supposed to guess you can actually do the job if you don't show them?

Yes Kazzy, as crotchet says that would be reflected in your sickness record so wouldn’t be an issue.
Let’s face it though if you have to decide between 2 good candidates and one has health issues it would be sensible to choose the one who hasn’t
Obviously existing employees get sick and you support them where appropriate but if it’s someone you are considering employing it would put me off

I think that your comment is really sad (genuinely I’m not being sarcastic), and unfortunately shows a lack of understanding of mental health and why there is still a stigma around it. Having a mental health issue (whatever that may be) doesn’t mean that you are unemployable and it saddens me that there is still a hell of a lot of work to be done around understanding mental health.

Frannyhy Wed 10-Jul-19 09:16:02
I know someone with anxiety. I asked her to stay for the weekend. I wouldn’t invite her again although she keeps hinting.

She held a managerial role in her last job, and was very upset because her team members complained about being called at home by her to discuss projects. She wouldn’t stop doing it so they went to HR.

Life is one long worry to her - she must be a nightmare to work for. When the company she worked for needed to reduce staff, she was one of the ones they let go.

I don’t blame them.

I hate when people circulate this sort of one off anecdote. Hassling colleagues re. work projects at home is inappropriate but has NOTHING to do with anxiety and your experience with one person (you clearly don't like very much) is irrelevant. This is typical of the sort of , "I worked with someone with X mental health condition once and they were a nightmare" sort of scaremongering anecdote that makes life for people with mental health problems so difficult.

This thread shows how much misunderstanding there is: people "eye-rolling" when they hear anxiety mentioned; people thinking that someone with anxiety can't ever be in a customer-facing role. Ignorant.

Thing is you get a job based on the interview. If your nervous and not interviewing well then you are unlikely to get the job. Someone with the right qualifications etc will interview well

Sounds like you could do with working on your interview skills

Not helpful to OP, but I thought people might be interested to know that at least one large employer goes out of its way to employ some people with autism in highly-paid technical jobs. (I know about this because someone who works there mentioned it to me.)

www.jpmorganchase.com/corporate/news/insights/jmahoney-autism-at-work-program.htm

www.jpmorganchase.com/corporate/news/stories/companies-want-to-work-with-people-with-autism.html

The following article mentions some other employers that are doing this.

fortune.com/2018/06/24/where-autistic-workers-thrive/

I'm a bipolar schizophrenic with psychosis... I think that makes me entirely unemployable, though I have completed two degrees in this 'state' and done rather well academically all things considered. Being mentally ill doesn't make me unable, but it certainly makes me unreliable, therefore, unemployable. Which is reasonable IMO.

Social anxiety, though, which I also suffer from as a result of the other issues, would mean seeking out the right roles/environment rather than no employment at all, surely?