Having a disability are you employable

[uniboy20]

Hi guy i thought i would throw this out and see if i can get advise.

Im struggleing to get a job. my previous employer had dismissed me from a management position because i had a disability. Now during my 15 months working for them i only had 10 days off due to my AS. even on my bad days when my joints was in so much pain i still went to work. I took them to the employment tribunal and i won my case. Now i just cannot find work anywhere. i moved from Cambridge to South West hoping all this would change.

After speaking to a recruitment agency i was told that its because i have got a disability and i would find it very hard to get employment, so they would not excepet me on there books.

All my life i have proven to others of what i can do. ive got a degree and a masters. but i must say its like hitting a brick wall.

ive just contacted the job center , hoping to speak to a disability adviser, just waiting for a phone call back.

Is it too much to ask for a job lol.

So has anyone else found it difficult to get a job??

[Beth58]

Hi

There's no reason why you cannot return to work with a disability, I've taken a step back from work 3 times while my AS was in severe flare mode. After a year off, when feeling better physically and mentally I've returned to work once via an agency. However, I have now left work permanently due to my A.S and other health issues.

I think the reason you may be having trouble is 'taking a former employer to tribunal' and if the agency refused to accept you because of your disability that's another case for complaint!

Keep looking and make an appointment to speak to that disability officer, I also found another route into employment was via voluntary work, it looks good on C.V's and if you can show a need for what your doing the charity could apply for funding for that post and offer you the job.

Good luck

Beth x

[earthwitch]

You definitely need support from a disability advisor, and you might want to also talk to the one at the CAB. Disability should not be grounds for employers to refuse you jobs, and especially an agency (that presumably has more variety available). In some cases it can work in your favour with large employers who have quotas for taking on people with disability. But its a really grey area because when you do apply for jobs they can say anything they like about why they didn't employ you, when the real reason was disability. It might be helpful to work out a strategy with a disability advisor about what you tell a potential employer and what you don't.

[helixhelix in reply to earthwitch]

The quota scheme for large employers to take on a % of disabled workers was axed when the 1995 disability discrimination act came in, as that is supposed to be a stronger way. And in theory it should be, but of course as you say it is open to being abused.

Generally it's hard finding a job whoever you are right now, so even more difficult if you have some constraints. So all I can suggest, apart from the route you're already trying with the disability adviser, is to really concentrate on getting your CV and so on as good as you can and keep on trying.....

[Victoria-NRAS Partner Moderator NRAS in reply to earthwitch]

I agree with Earthwitch. Best to get specialist advice on this. You should have been covered by the Equalities Act at your old job. If your disability was preventing you from being able to carry out the work that's different, but if you were doing the job fine but just had a disability they should have looked at any reasonable adjustments they could make to keep you in that role. Appalling also that an agency would refuse you on these grounds. You do not have to tell a prospective employer that you have a disability until a job has been offered, so it shouldn't have affected what they put you forward for (other than making sure it was something you were capable of doing). Definitely get some advice from CAB about this!

Victoria

(NRAS Helpline)

[shirlthegirl]

Its really sad, with all your experience as well, just wondered, I know you might not of wanted to after winning your case, But did they not offer you your job back?,

Its just many people that i have known in the past ( working in food retail ) who have lost their jobs and won their cases have been offered there jobs back as well...................

Shirl X

[oldtimer]

The jobs market is really difficult at the moment and anything that might put off an employer is a disadvantage. You have to show that you are BETTER than other applicants to get the job to compensate for the employer's perception that you will be unreliable.

But I worked all my life despite having RA from the age of 37. I did have to modify what sort of work I did, but that was quite successful in coping with what I could not physically manage.I did have short periods of unemployment and even resorted on one occasion to writing to loads of people offering my services (and got a job as a result!).