Employment dilemma

[Robbie38]

Hi everyone , I took redundancy earlier in the year , Really needed to get of shifts after 30 years , and big HA 3 years ago thought it was time , So I have recently been offered a job on days, Do I tell them about my HA or not , I have mild LVSD , However I’m completely asymptotic, Unless they see me take my medication which I take 3 times a day they would never know , I suffer from a terrible conscience so try and not fall out with it , and it feels a little deceitful , But I don’t want to talk myself out of a new job , Any advice would be appreciated , Robbie

[Outforawalk]

I think honesty is the best policy for you and your employer. I don’t know what insurances you have in place but these could be compromised if you are working with an undisclosed condition. Hopefully your employer sees that you can do the job you are required to do and that your condition is managed with medication. Good luck, I hope it works out well 👍

[Prada47]

Hi Robbie

In my view and it is just my view,

If your not going to have a Medical or have Life Assurance etc attached to the job and and your not worried about yourself I would say nothing !!

As long as the job doesn't have any Safety Aspect to it that could affect you or anyone else around you !!

Difficult Choices that only you can take !!

Wash, Face, Space

[Sunnie2day]

I would tell the prospective employer about the heart attack, stressing you take medication three times a day that keeps your heart condition well controlled.

Not telling them might cause problems for you and your new employer down the line. Better to be sure everyone is 'on the same page' from the start so if a colleague sees you taking your noon meds, for example, he/she doesn't go tittle-tattling to the boss or spreading gossip about you to the rest of the workplace. Also, if the new employer later discovers you are on medication after recovering from what you write was a 'big heart attack', he/she may feel you've been deceptive and that never makes for a happy working environment if the management feels they can't trust you for whatever reason.

If the prospective employer has reservations he/she can't get past after you've told them about your health situation, that's not a job you would have been happy at any road and it's best to know that right away rather than find out the hard way a month or two down the line.

[Prada47]

Hi Robbie

Something I may have missed here have you discussed going to do this job with your GP or do you feel you are well enough to do this job without asking !!

Again a lot depends on the job. This is not to put anyone down doing a menial job but if it is a pretty mundane job I don't think the employer would care if you have had a Heart Attack or not.

So really answering this question is really up to You !!

Wash Face Space

[Kizzie54]

I too believe honesty is the best policy. If something happened while working people need to know in order to get you the appropriate help .

[dunestar]

This is just my personal opinion Robbie. If they ask I would tell them. If they don't ask I wouldn't. If being in a certain health is necessary for the job I would expect them to cover this before offering you the job.

[Hidden]

I agree with Dunestar, if they don't ask then I don't see why you need to tell them. There are probably people working at the same place doing the same job who may well be in a worse physical state than you, and have a HA at any time. You can take your med's without anyone noticing easily. Unless you are driving a train or a 40 ton truck I wouldn't worry personally, you might talk yourself out of a job, especially in the current climate.

[Hidden]

Coming from an HR background, if you suddenly collapsed or were seriously injured somehow at work and incapable of communicating, your employer is going to provide emergency services with whatever information they have in your personnel file. I would personally rather they could give full and accurate information that might save my life, and potentially get me faster treatment, than withhold information. Most employers do ask about health and medical conditions as part of the induction paperwork, and if they specifically ask and you fail to disclose it, that is also potentially a disciplinary offence. Working as a recruitment officer for a large food manufacturer, I once offered an HGV driving job to a chap. Because of the nature of the job, we specifically asked about medical conditions as part of the application process, and he wrote ‘none’ on the paperwork when I inducted him. A few weeks later he asked for time off for a hospital appointment, company policy was we needed sight of the appointment letter to approve it, and it landed on my desk as occ health and absence was also part of my remit. Turned out he had long-standing diabetes, which in and of itself didn’t necessarily preclude him from the driving role, but he’d also failed to abide by DVLA regs regarding his group 2 driving licence, and lied on his paperwork with the company. That was ultimately his last day in work, more because of the failure to disclose than anything else.

They’ve offered you the job, and unless your health is a clear and unequivocal health and safety concern specific to the role offered, for which reasonable adjustments are not possible, they can’t retract that on the grounds of a health disclosure: that’s part of what the Equality Act 2010 exists for, and I would professionally take the view that LVSD would meet the definition for disabled under the act, however well controlled, and even if you yourself wouldn’t describe it as a disability. The act definition is a mental or physical impairment that effects your ability to carry out normal daily tasks and living, and actually disregards any treatment you may receive: to determine if you’re disabled under the EA, you look at what you would be like without your regular treatment or aids such as a walking stick. If without your meds you would struggle day to day with symptoms or completing normal tasks, that means you would be deemed disabled under the act, and any withdrawal of the job offer on the grounds of health would run the risk of being disability discrimination. You’d be able to take them to tribunal. There are shades of grey within that, of course, and I’m being quite broad because I don’t know your specifics, but for me, there are several reasons why it’s always a good idea to declare health issues, not least the trust between you and your employer. For arguments’ sake, if you said nothing and then began to keep less well, an employer is going to be far more understanding and supportive of an employee that told them from the outset that they had health issues than one that deliberately didn’t say anything.

[IrisCarter in reply to Hidden]

What an excellent response.

[Prada47 in reply to IrisCarter]

Sorry I disagree what has been pedalled here. is a company line and the HR department trying to cover the companies ae*e. It is normal practice. If we all abided with this policy not many of us would be working !!

Wash Face Space

[IrisCarter in reply to Prada47]

Yes, it is the company line. I think what it comes down to is how willing someone is to be caught not disclosing health conditions.

[Hidden in reply to Prada47]

Sorry, but I don’t understand your reply. What has been explained here is factually correct and in line with ACAS, the CIPD, current employment law and established best practice for HR within the UK. Of course HR peddles the company line, their primary purpose is to meet business need with regards to people management, that’s literally what they exist for, which is often why we’re the least popular people in the building at any given moment, but everything in my reply is factual and accurate. You can be dismissed for failing to disclose a health condition as part of the recruitment process as long as the employer can prove that the health issue in question was relevant to the appointment:

xperthr.co.uk/faq/can-an-em...

Bottom line: if you disclose a health condition that qualifies you under the EA and a conditional offer of employment is then inappropriately withdrawn on the grounds of that health disclosure, that is direct discrimination and you will win at tribunal if upheld. The onus will be on the employer to demonstrate that they didn’t revoke the offer on discriminatory grounds. The rules once you’re employed are different, you can’t be penalised for not declaring a condition arising after you’ve got the job (and if you are, you’re potentially entering into the realms of unfair dismissal if due process isn’t followed), and you’re not actually obliged to declare a health issue as it arises although it obviously makes sense to do so from a number of angles. At all stages of the employment cycle, including recruitment, employers have to be able to prove that any questions about health are valid and appropriate to avoid breaching employment law and the EA, as well as having to entertain reasonable adjustments where they are made aware of a health problem, if there are any viable reasonable adjustments that can be made. Unfortunately, if there’s not, then it’s a case of redeployment or dismissal, because as harsh as it sounds, the priority within HR will always ultimately be business need. But I also know from my 7 years of experience as a fully qualified HR officer that we’re only human, and if you come to us having not declared something needing lots of time off or otherwise looking for support, that places strain on the business need being met as a consequence, whilst we’ll still abide by best practice and legislation, you might find us less flexible than if you’d been honest from the outset. That’s called human nature.

[Prada47 in reply to Hidden]

What you have wrote is 100% correct, however you could be sacked for non disclosure, then again you may not have been given the opportunity to prove your worth, due to not having been taken on in the first place. Yes I agree HR is just a tool of management not a Welfare Department as a lot of people think!!

Hands Face Space

[Robbie38]

The agency said they are going to offer me the job at the last interview , I’m a electrician in a small factory, However I feel that they will see me as a burden regardless of my skill set and back away , Thanks for the feedback. Robbie

[IrisCarter in reply to Robbie38]

Have you considered becoming self employed? I am under the impression that there is plenty of work for electricians. You could also approach your local Chamber of Commerce for advice about setting up. In our city we have small business advisors who help people to set up and can sometimes provide small grants.

[Bellipan]

All contributors are offering sound advice, but Prada47 has made the main point what has your GP / Cardiologist advised you ? They will be aware of your condition / treatment to date, your job dimensions as an Electrician, and can advise based on all the factors IE small factory, industrial setting, HV, working at height etc ? Don’t stop yourself getting back to employment if the task suits your condition and skills, as a HA shouldn’t be viewed as an end to your usefulness but that said, irrespective of employment law, employer perceptions etc if you are not comfortable doing the job, don’t. That said, a HA is an event that if managed correctly, full return to work is possible, so do it if you want to and can. A good experienced sparkie is hard to come across at the best of times, so if they are a decent employer they will take you on knowing your history, especially if you are working through an agency, where any absence is at your risk, not theirs. Good luck, red to red etc.

[SMITHYC]

As someone who interviews staff I would expect candidates to be up front with me.

As long as your medication is controlling it I would be honest with them. Sometimes staff are required to fill in a medical questionnaire.

[Prada47]

I had a HA in 1982 and I was prevented from continuing my Job because a HA was a no no for offshore working.

I forged a very successful career working all over the Near, Middle, and Far East. oh and the USA .

Now retired even though I could of continued my life offshore they ( management ) prevented me. I often look upon it as their Loss my Gain just showing there is life after an MI

Wash Face Space

[Robbie38]

My cardiologist was happy for me to do 12 hours shifts days and nights without any concern , To be honest he was more interested in the latest car coming of the production line , I was hoping everyone would advise me to say nothing , However I think deep down I know I should mention it , This is the reality that heart disease has on your life , I never wanted it to play a big role in my life and just hoped that taking the meds and doing everything in my power to keep fit would be enough, I will mention it in a low key way , But to make sure they are fully aware , and then we are starting off on the right foot , Thanks for all your advice

Robbie

[Ianc2]

Have you made positive changes your lifestyle, taken more exercise, lost weight if you needed to? If so you have you have a positive story to tell. You are off shifts, probably sleeping better and enjoying life more, so be upfront and tell them.

You had a problem, you have done something about it, you have a story to tell. They might ask for a medical, so go ahead and take it and then there will be no niggling doubts.

[tywolcot]

If you live in the UK, then most likely you fall under BS7858 vetting if I understand correctly where you want to get a job. You can read more about this at sterlingcheck.co.uk/blog/20... and most likely it will be able to help someone in the future. My friend who lives in Sheffield didn't know about it. When he came to get a job, he was rejected because he could not pass this test. As a result, he had to do some paperwork to get this position. I don't know how much this helps companies in selecting employees, but it probably makes sense if they have introduced it.