PD and your employer

[Parsa]

Hi all. Happy new year🎊

At what stage did you guys tell your employer re your PD?

[pdpatient]

Hi Parsa, happy new year 2021 to you also. First, let me make this very clear. It's not over when you disclose the diagnosis and life can become very complicated after the disclosure. It all depends on how long you have been with the company, the attitude of your boss and the attitude of the HR department. Your work circumstances also matter.

I was diagnosed in 2012 at age 48 and have a tremor dominant version of Parkinson's. However, I was a remote IT Corporate Consultant employed by a very large Fortune 50 company. The Consulting division was completely remote and we never met in person or video. However, my job involved travel and I had to minimize that. I told my boss who was a very kind man who had undergone colon surgery and was about my age and because of his personal bout with near death, he was very understanding. I managed 4 years at the organization until I was laid off along with the entire division.

I have had to change several jobs before I was hired in this current position which is tailored for people like me with disabilities. It's called the Ability One program. Even here I am facing some challenges because I am the only disabled person on the team. However, because I was hired during the pandemic, I have yet to disclose to the rest of the team since I am working from home remotely. My boss of course knows and so do the interviewers who vetted me for the job. I really don't know what is in store after the pandemic when I go back to work on premises.

Hope this helps.

[Farooqji in reply to pdpatient]

Does your job involve multitasking?

[pdpatient in reply to Farooqji]

Yes, it does, Iqbal. I expected to find it difficult to do because that is supposed to be a hallmark of Parkinson's. I don't find that to be a problem. I hope that it never will be a problem. However, I do have the issue of Bradykinesia when I have too little Levodopa in my system. The problem with Levodopa is that I have to constantly change the dose every few days up or down in our to keep the plasma levels steady. I have had a couple of colleagues complain that I am a little slow, but it hasn't become a thing to worry about at this time.

[Parsa in reply to pdpatient]

My husband is working for about 14 years with this company. He diagnosed two years ago at age of 42. His symptoms are worsening and I was thinking he might need to tell his employer.

He didn’t take any med yet. His jobs involved lot of presentations and he is worried.

[pdpatient in reply to Parsa]

Parsa, 14 years at any company in this day and age is an impossible feat for a substantial proportion of the working population. I commend your husband's loyalty. I also wish him the very best.

BTW, my " 2 cents " aka "piece of advice" is that you should take your husband to a Movement Disorders Specialist (MDS) at the closest teaching hospital. I was also able to not take medication for two years after diagnosis, but at some point you have to give in. An MDS is crucial to any PwP's ability to function.

Let me also tell you about an open secret. Even the dumbest human beings on the planet are able to sense and feel that something is wrong with a Parkinson's patient, even though you do your best to hide it. That goes for anyone with even a slight tremor. They may not choose to tell you that they have observed and sensed something OFF about you, but believe me, they know. Sometimes, lack of disclosure might be a liability, because they might assume the worst, professionally. I am sure that if your husband has been going to the office regularly before that pandemic, his colleagues would have definitely noticed.

I am making a lot of assumptions here about your husband's work situation, so please take my experience as it relates to him.

[Jandeb in reply to pdpatient]

My lawyers advised me to let them know when I first knew. I am in executive sales.

[Astra7]

Havnt told them yet. Don’t see any need if I can manage my job which so far I have been able to. Don’t think it’s their business really.

[Parsa]

Do you guys have experience of going through interviews and getting new job? Did PD have an impact on it?

[ion_ion]

I had interviews. The first one just before the pandemic face to face and I could not control my RH shaking but I did well. I turned off the job offer. The next one was for a big auto company through phone and online and I did again well. I was not interested to get a new job and I just wanted to test myself. During the first company I told them I had PD and they said that was okay. The second one they could not see me shaking through Skype but we could not agree for the money. I was just playing to exercise my stress resistance. After those interviews I got very relaxed and the tremor almost stopped. I'm planning playing more interviews to increase my resistance to the stress.

Regarding my actual employer my boss noticed probably I was shaking and asked me if I have something to disclose regarding my health. I told him is not his f... business and sent him f... himself... and threaten to fill a complainant against him at HR or sue him for asking me about my state of health which is confidential. At t his moment I entered my 5th PD year and I still can do my job thanks to HDT.

[pdpatient in reply to ion_ion]

Good for you, Ion. In my experience, a 20mg tablet of propranolol helps with the anxiety and nervousness. I wish you all the best.

[Farooqji in reply to ion_ion]

What is the nature of your job? giving presentations, typing etc? I agree pdpatient that propranolol dampens the tremor and nervousness

[ddmagee1 in reply to Farooqji]

Propranolol works well for me!

[Parsa in reply to Farooqji]

Yes, lots of typing. What dose of propranolol?

[Farooqji in reply to Parsa]

20 mg should work

[Parsa in reply to Farooqji]

My husband takes 10mg

[Parsa in reply to ion_ion]

Good on you and thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences

[Dholplayer]

Happy new year. I told my employer as soon as they started to notice my tremors... They are very supportive