To think I don’t need to put my last employer on my references?

[Yellowpellow]

I’m currently applying for a job that is an almost identical role to my previous employment just over a year ago. I left my most recent job after 6 weeks there, on mental health grounds as I found myself having a nervous breakdown and then went on to be diagnosed with ADHD and ASD. I’m now in a position to return to the workplace.

The application form I’m filling in (local council) is asking for my current or most recent employment.
I really don’t want to put the most recent one down as I was only there for 6 weeks and the didn’t know me at all. My employment prior to that was in a very similar role again and I was there for 4 years. I’d much rather put that place down as my reference, but equally, I don’t want to be found out because I’ve lied on my application form.

Can anyone help please?!

I really disagree with those saying not to put it down. You must put it down. Schools are hot on this. It will jeopardise your chance of getting the job otherwise, and you may get the job offer rescinded if they discover you weren’t truthful.

Op didn't mention it was a school in the original post. She would have got different answers.

Good luck op.

@Yellowpellow

I’ll put it down, will it go against me and mean I won’t get the job? I had a doctors note and I will put down I left because of ill health.

They're not supposed to discrimate against ill health, however they would never admit if they did and would always say it was something else, so honestly you wouldn't know.

Please declare the job though.

I will declare it.
If it does go against me it means I’m stuck in a cycle forever, I’ll always need to put them down as the most recent employer, so will I ever get a job again?

You absolutely must include it. If you don't and they find out, they could terminate your employment. But it won't affect your application. You had a good reason for leaving. You don't have to go into detail. Ill health is absolutely fine as a reason. You can explain in the interview, and I think it will sound really strong if you left a job due to ill health, got a diagnosis and took steps to deal with the difficulties it caused you.

I have interviewed candidates in schools so many times and it wouldn't put me off you at all.

@Lougle

You absolutely must include it. If you don't and they find out, they could terminate your employment. But it won't affect your application. You had a good reason for leaving. You don't have to go into detail. Ill health is absolutely fine as a reason. You can explain in the interview, and I think it will sound really strong if you left a job due to ill health, got a diagnosis and took steps to deal with the difficulties it caused you.

I have interviewed candidates in schools so many times and it wouldn't put me off you at all.

This is absolutely the right advice, and the right way to frame it.

If you’ve done volunteering regularly, you can maybe put that down as your most recent. Employment doesn’t necessarily have to paid. Even if you do put your short-lived job down for references, most companies just ask for dates and job title. However, they may ask for how much sick leave you took. Is that what worries you?

Sorry yes if it was a school ans the same council it needs to be declared. The reference should not indicate though what Ill health you had so hopefully if it comes to it you can decide how much to disclose on that.

[quote Yellowpellow]@girlmom21 unfortunately it was, and the same council too. It’s a school.[/quote]
Yes of course, they will know. How much did they know about why you left before?

Hi @YellowpellowYellowpellow, please listen to the pps advising you to include that 6 week job in your employment history in your application (& in fact any application whether it is public sector or not, but esp this one as it's the same council, so there will be records of you previously being employed with them), including a brief sentence why you left, ie health issue (condition treated and managed) or something like that.

You will be covered under the Equalities Act, so will have more protections under the law, re your employment, as you have been diagnosed with conditions that will not ever go away (or get better as such) which also means you are entitled, when filling out the Equalities Questionnaire, to tick that you are disabled, or that you consider you fall under the Category - Disabled. This should also give you a chance for any additional assistance you may need, going through the interview process.

I am not saying that these conditions ARE a disability, but by declaring them & being honest on the EQ form what the diagnoses were, what you have done to help yourself get well from the breakdown, and what you can & are doing to manage these conditions going forward will show that you are a fighter and prepared to try everything to get back into employment etc. This also allows you to request/be offered reasonable adjustments, should you need them either to start the job, or once you are employed and maybe you need some additional assistance to carry out your job, that other fellow employees do not need.

I know a lot of people feel, or will say, do not declare health issues as although we all know no-one should be discriminated on the grounds of disability, it does happen, but would you want to gain employment with a company that once/if your medical history or conditions become known, or you end up with the same struggles as before, kick you out the door "for another reason" instead of offering you support & reasonable adjustments, in order to keep someone who is probably a very good employee, employed??

I know there is still a lot of ignorance and stigma about health conditions, especially Mental Health conditions or non NT conditions, which is outrageous in the 21st Century, but hopefully this Council, your possible new employers/managers are open-minded, supportive and have good policies and procedures in place to assist & support staff that might need just a bit (or a lot) of extra assistance, to remain in the workforce.

I was in a very similar position to you several years ago, with a list of chronic health conditions/hidden disabilities as long as your arm and I could no longer do the career I had been in for nearly 18 years (I'll be honest - I was panicking, convinced no-one would ever employee me again), but I included my previous jobs in the application form, and a full history in the EQ Form, and I did end up getting another p/t permanent role that I have been in ever since. Only HR see that full form (or Employee Assist, if they want to send you for a medical to assess what you might need, again I went through that and still got the job), once they are at the stage of offering you the role. They open the form to see what, if any, conditions you may have, and what they are likely to have to consider to get you started in work.

Access to work is a government scheme that allows employers to recoup money, up to a certain amount (I can't remember the figure off the top of my head) for the costs of some equipment you may need to help you do your job easier, so it's not an automatic Nope, you're now no longer employable. It's probably better to be honest, and we shouldn't have to hide these things, or be embarrassed about it etc, because if you have been upfront, they are likely to be more pro-actively involved in sorting any reasonable adjustments (some of which can just be, they know of your conditions so cut you a bit of slack re time taken to complete tasks, or at times your mood etc might take a bit of a dip, you're overwhelmed etc, they provide a bit more support etc) and they know you are honest and declared things, whereas if you don't some people (not saying they are right) then feel you have hidden things deliberately/got the job under false pretences, or what else question you're integrity, and are resentful of the assistance you might need or are asking for.

Sorry, I try really, really hard to be succinct if I'm ever posting, but fail dreadfully every time (just one example of my convoluted thought process - for which I get reasonable adjustments/support with from my current workplace.

Happy for you to pm me, if you would like to talk more.

Good Luck with you application, I really hope you get an interview, and even the job, if you feel it's the right thing for you.