Disability Declaration

[PigsinBlankets22]

I would just like to get some views/opinions on this....

I have history of depression, generalised anxiety disorder and OCD. I have never declared this in any job roles. Quite frankly I feel embarrassed and feel it may affect my application. I have had to take time of work previously due to relapses.

Would you declare these conditions???

Only if you intend to take time off sick due to it

The definition of disability is not that you have a health condition, but that it must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least a year and must have a substantial impact on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. It is based on impacts, not diagnosis. Only a few conditions such as cancer automatically qualify from day 1. Like any physical condition, mental illness may or may not qualify. So you would need to determine that your condition does amount to a disability.

That said, you are not entitled to very much when declaring a disability. "Reasonable adjustments" don't entitle you to anything specific, and are measured from the employers point of view rather than the employees. And a disability does not, for example, entitle you to more sickness leave than anyone else - it may be a reasonable adjustment, but it isn't a carte blanche. For example I have a serious disability (in receipt of PIP at higher levels in both categories, so there is no question that I am disabled). My employers threshold for sickness absence (very large public sector organisation) is 9.5 days in any one year period before sickness absence procedures kick in. Our "disability allowance" is 11.5 days - so an extra two days before the process kicks in. Employers can and will vary on what they allow - but equally if they can evidence why it isn't reasonable for them, they can offer nothing at all.

So you would need to balance what possible benefit you might get from declaring this (assuming you meet the criteria) against the possible disbenefit. That is a judgement call that only you can make.