Psycho-Babble Social Thread 424315

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Employers and BP

Posted by prodgirl on December 4, 2004, at 12:15:53

How far have you been able to push your employer with your BP dx? What is the real legal limit in the US? Is HR obligated to keep their mouth shut about my disease?

I have been self employed for 7 years, so I come and go as I please. If I am lucky, I will be hired FT with a company 50 mi away from me in OC (which might be equivilent to 1:30 drive each way). I want to stay with my pdoc here in LA and start new therapy here as well (depending on my insurance). Can I tell HR that I am telecommuting 1x wk b'c of the distance and my pdoc/therapist appt? This position is 50% travel as a regional manager, so I will already be working out of the office alot.

I have NO clue about a real environment at a work place. I had only one FT job, right out of college and it wasn't very "official" in terms of things like this.

Any advise will be truly appreciated. Shouldn't stress before I get the job, but I really need the benefits. I just hope my meds work and I will be able to keep a "real" job!

 

Re: Employers and BP

Posted by Wildman on December 4, 2004, at 12:15:54

In reply to Employers and BP, posted by prodgirl on December 4, 2004, at 0:16:35

prodgirl,

I'm also self-employed and have had a single client for almost three years now. During that time I was "diagnosed" and began taking meds. I have only let on to a few close people at work about my situation, but I'm lucky to have a couple of really cool co-workers.

I've asked them to "keep an eye on me" at work, and give me feedback if I start to slip up. My main client contact has no idea of the situation and I want to keep it that way until keeping quiet no longer works to my benefit.

I also telecommute at least one day a week, usually to accomodate our family schedule (3 kids and wife with active lives), but sometimes if I'm having a hypomanic day or so, I can work from my basement.

Hold your cards close to your vest...

Wildman

 

Re: Employers and BP » prodgirl

Posted by octopusprime on December 4, 2004, at 12:24:28

In reply to Employers and BP, posted by prodgirl on December 4, 2004, at 0:16:35

prodgirl - how will you be able to keep a weekly appointment with a 50% travel schedule?

i would imagine you would frequently be out of town on the day of the week your appointment fell. since travel is an essential part of your job, i can see how your employer would not look kindly on your request to work from home.

i think working from home 1x a week in your proposed position is excessive, sorry. accomodating a weekly appointment is one thing, but accomodating working from home (especially if the day of the week is fixed) is another.

if i were you, i would also rethink the 50 mile (3 hour daily) commute. this means you would work an 11-12 hour day, every day. this is a strenuous schedule for somebody without a mental illness. for somebody that struggles with mental illness, it may be catastrophic. do you have problems getting out of bed in the morning? if so, a long commute is not for you.

i feel like i'm being super-negative in this post and i'm sorry about that. i'm glad that you're finding new and exciting job opportunities. if i were you, and the job was worth it, i would move and find a new pdoc after accepting the job.

 

Re: Employers and BP

Posted by olysi79 on December 4, 2004, at 12:29:05

In reply to Employers and BP, posted by prodgirl on December 4, 2004, at 0:16:35

Hi, I have anxiety disorders and BP II. I've been pretty upfront with my employer as they've seen my issues firsthand when I went through a mixed episode. I haven't gotten the sense that they doubt my abilities or anything. I haven't pushed for any type of special accomadations but if push came to shove, perhaps I would. My overall experience has been one of support, but I work for a fortune 500 corporation with strict policies in place to accomadate those with both mental and physical disabilties. Hoep this answers your question at least a bit.
Chris


> How far have you been able to push your employer with your BP dx? What is the real legal limit in the US? Is HR obligated to keep their mouth shut about my disease?
>
> I have been self employed for 7 years, so I come and go as I please. If I am lucky, I will be hired FT with a company 50 mi away from me in OC (which might be equivilent to 1:30 drive each way). I want to stay with my pdoc here in LA and start new therapy here as well (depending on my insurance). Can I tell HR that I am telecommuting 1x wk b'c of the distance and my pdoc/therapist appt? This position is 50% travel as a regional manager, so I will already be working out of the office alot.
>
> I have NO clue about a real environment at a work place. I had only one FT job, right out of college and it wasn't very "official" in terms of things like this.
>
> Any advise will be truly appreciated. Shouldn't stress before I get the job, but I really need the benefits. I just hope my meds work and I will be able to keep a "real" job!

 

Re: Employers and BP » prodgirl

Posted by Atticus on December 4, 2004, at 15:32:09

In reply to Employers and BP, posted by prodgirl on December 4, 2004, at 0:16:35

Hi,
I'm bipolar too, with rapid cycling. I'd strongly suggest that you find a copy of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. This federal mandate was expanded in 1996 by the Clinton administration to very specifically include much stronger protections for the mentally ill against workplace discrimination, and it details the accomodations that employers must make. Following a hospitalization earlier this year, I told my boss straight up about my illness and why it and reactions to meds made my behavior somewhat difficult sometimes. I also contacted NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill), which offers a legal referral service to experts on these issues.
I was two years into my job as a writer and editor when this came up, so my position was obviously different. I certainly wouldn't bring your illness up with your potential employer until you've gotten the job, and it might be a good idea, at least for the time being, to seek out a therapist and pdoc like mine who has evening hours (perhaps even one closer to your potential new workplace). The key thing is to be thoroughly familiar with what your workplace rights are under the ADA, and NAMI might be a good place to start. It's a pretty powerful and well-known national advocacy group for people like us. Asking for reasonable accommodations for your disability that will enable you to function better (and therefore be a more effective employee) is a legal right under the ADA. What constitutes a "reasonable accommodation," however, can become a bone of contention between employees and employers.
The phone number for NAMI's lawyer referral service (as well as your local chapter -- a subsidiary of the state chapter) is listed on NAMI's home page. Just Google it. You can also talk to a representative from California's state NAMI organization. Knowledge is your best asset in handling a situation like this. Hope this helped. Atticus

 

Re: Employers and BP

Posted by Daisym on December 4, 2004, at 16:11:24

In reply to Re: Employers and BP » prodgirl, posted by Atticus on December 4, 2004, at 15:32:09

Just a word about accomodations, the size of the company matters. So if you are working for a smallish company, things required at different.

I agree with waiting awhile to ask for things. Since you are out of the office a lot anyway, perhaps you can fit things in around your outside appointments. Being flexible will be key - perhaps an afternoon off, instead of a whole day, something like that.

The other thing that is ambiguous around ADA is what constitutes a disability and what doesn't. Just because you have a condition doesn't make it a disability (like Asthma) unless your MD classifies it as such. It gets really tricky. Be careful.

 

Re: Employers and BP

Posted by KB on December 4, 2004, at 22:27:40

In reply to Re: Employers and BP, posted by Daisym on December 4, 2004, at 16:11:24

I think the "culture" of the company also matters - how formal are they? More formal places
are less comfy w/ personal issues. And how flexible are they in general? You can find that out by asking general questions about parental leave policy etc.

 

Re: Employers and BP

Posted by prodgirl on December 4, 2004, at 22:37:32

In reply to Re: Employers and BP, posted by KB on December 4, 2004, at 22:27:40

The company is one of the nations largest lifestyle marketing organizations, however, they want me to take care of a high end auto client. They do not have an office in SoCal and I would be working out of the client's office (which is huge!) There appears to be a great deal of autonomy in the position, that's why I think I shouldn't have a problem working from home, I could still work a full day rather than half. If they can trust me to travel and manage my region, they should be able to trust me working from home. At least that's what I think is rational. It's just a matter of whether or not I should or shouldn't tell anyone above me in the main offices.

Thanks for all your responces and feedback!

 

Re: Employers and BP » prodgirl

Posted by sunny10 on December 5, 2004, at 15:12:30

In reply to Re: Employers and BP, posted by prodgirl on December 4, 2004, at 22:37:32

From your last post, it sounds like you will actually be in the client's office rather than your corparate office.

If that is the case, you will probably be able to adopt a slighty more flexible schedule. If you will be in charge of scheduling your own travel, you will be able to schedule in your appointments. I would, however, take the advice of a prior poster and look for a therapist closer to work. The pdoc appts tend to get more and more spaced out as you "settle in" to your meds, so it won't matter quite as much schedule-wise. But the T appts are weekly, so you may want to fit them into a "lunch" or, perhaps, right after work. Don't let that deter you, chances are that with new benefits, you will have a wider range of therapists to go to than you could otherwise afford.

Best of luck to you in your new job- how exciting!

My thoughts and wishes are with you,
sunny10


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