My Support Forums - View Single Post - Help: Work issues. Boss wants to know about hospitalization

sarahsweets · Apr 08, 2019 at 11:22 AM

Read this article. Its exactly what you are asking.
Should You Disclose a Mental Illness During the Hiring Process? - #1 Mental Health Blog - Talkspace

Quote:

Americans With Disabilities Act
Regardless of whether you decide to disclose or not, the Americans With Disabilities Act provides protection for those with mental health issues.

The ADA was signed into law in 1990 and provides basic rights for workers with disabilities, including those with a history of psychiatric disability. It means “employers can’t take actions (such as failing to hire, demoting, or denying training opportunities) because they believe a qualified applicant or employee might have a psychiatric disability.”

The law also prevents potential employers from asking questions during an interview about physical or mental illness. You are not required at any point during the interview to disclose your illness history, nor on the job if you so choose. Be prepared though that an employer may ask about your ability to perform certain tasks that will touch on issues impacted by mental health, such as high pressure situations or conflict resolution.

Another provision covered by the ADA is the right to job accommodations as long as they don’t cause “undue hardship” for an employer. This could mean permission to work from home on some days or the need for a flexible schedule, for example. In order to gain accommodations, you do need to disclose some information about your health to your company. This does not need to be disclosed during the interview process, however, but at any point before there is an issue.