Short and sweet
May 4, 2016 7:14 AM Subscribe
Is there a benefit to disclosing a disability to your employer that does not require accommodation on their part?
Response by poster: Just managing an ongoing medical condition, which can be done in the restroom or (preferably) the office Privacy Room. No time off except for Dr visits, which I have PTO for.
posted by hwyengr at 7:22 AM on May 4, 2016
posted by hwyengr at 7:22 AM on May 4, 2016
I'd say no, but have a medic alert bracelet in the event you have an emergency where you cannot communicate (such as diabetes?).
posted by heathrowga at 7:27 AM on May 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by heathrowga at 7:27 AM on May 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
No, no benefit.
They don't need to know anything unless and until you request accommodation measures.
posted by calgirl at 7:36 AM on May 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
They don't need to know anything unless and until you request accommodation measures.
posted by calgirl at 7:36 AM on May 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
No. Not unless you need an actual accommodation.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:36 AM on May 4, 2016
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:36 AM on May 4, 2016
Response by poster: The HR manual mentions nothing; does use of the privacy room constitute an accommodation? I really don't want to discuss this at work, and am concerned with general questions like that being followed up with specific questions.
posted by hwyengr at 7:42 AM on May 4, 2016
posted by hwyengr at 7:42 AM on May 4, 2016
I'm mostly with MoonOrb here -- as an employer/manager, I would want to know about this before it required accommodation, if it's the sort of thing that ever might. On the other hand, anyone in your office could be proverbially hit by the proverbial bus tonight and require accommodation for what was a nonexistent condition yesterday, so there's not really that much value in telling them.
Is there any benefit? Yes. Does it outweigh the downside? Probably not.
posted by Etrigan at 8:01 AM on May 4, 2016
Is there any benefit? Yes. Does it outweigh the downside? Probably not.
posted by Etrigan at 8:01 AM on May 4, 2016
Okay: I'm not an employer, and I'm not claiming to know what your medical situation is, nor am I claiming that either of the two conditions I'm going to discuss are what you're facing.
When I was a stage manager, one of the members of one of my casts took me aside once and let me know, quietly, that he was diabetic, but he also stressed that he had the means to take care of it; he had his insulin meter, he had a couple emergency candy bars in his bag, he was on it. He just wanted me to know, in case he ever got sort of distracted and looked out of it, so I could nudge him quietly and say "hey, buddy, check yourself." I added a couple of Hersheys' Kisses to my first aid kit, but otherwise did nothing else, and no more needed to be done.
A couple months later, an actress I know who has a chronic bladder problem was preparing for a part in a national tour. However, she was on the fence about whether she should tell the people in charge about her issue, or whether she should just suck it up and deal, managing things on her own the way she usually did. I told her about the diabetic cast member I'd had, and told her just how much I appreciated being informed - because it was something I could prepare for, just in case. I trusted that he was on it, but if something ever went down where he was caught up and wasn't as on top of things as he usually was, at least I would be prepared for it, instead of having him keep it to himself and having it sprung on me as a total surprise and being caught with my metaphoric pants down.
So one advantage of informing your employer is so that they can have your back as a just-in-case, as opposed to your needing them to have your back in a tight spot and them not knowing that they needed to do that. It doesn't have to be a formal thing, just maybe a quiet word with someone in HR that "by the way, this is my deal, but this is how I handle it, and in case that isn't working here's what you need to do, and I'd appreciate discretion on this as well." That's their job, especially the "discretion" part.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:11 AM on May 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
When I was a stage manager, one of the members of one of my casts took me aside once and let me know, quietly, that he was diabetic, but he also stressed that he had the means to take care of it; he had his insulin meter, he had a couple emergency candy bars in his bag, he was on it. He just wanted me to know, in case he ever got sort of distracted and looked out of it, so I could nudge him quietly and say "hey, buddy, check yourself." I added a couple of Hersheys' Kisses to my first aid kit, but otherwise did nothing else, and no more needed to be done.
A couple months later, an actress I know who has a chronic bladder problem was preparing for a part in a national tour. However, she was on the fence about whether she should tell the people in charge about her issue, or whether she should just suck it up and deal, managing things on her own the way she usually did. I told her about the diabetic cast member I'd had, and told her just how much I appreciated being informed - because it was something I could prepare for, just in case. I trusted that he was on it, but if something ever went down where he was caught up and wasn't as on top of things as he usually was, at least I would be prepared for it, instead of having him keep it to himself and having it sprung on me as a total surprise and being caught with my metaphoric pants down.
So one advantage of informing your employer is so that they can have your back as a just-in-case, as opposed to your needing them to have your back in a tight spot and them not knowing that they needed to do that. It doesn't have to be a formal thing, just maybe a quiet word with someone in HR that "by the way, this is my deal, but this is how I handle it, and in case that isn't working here's what you need to do, and I'd appreciate discretion on this as well." That's their job, especially the "discretion" part.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:11 AM on May 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
If your company does any federal contracting, it could benefit your their annual ADA compliance reporting. This is not necessarily a benefit that you would derive, but it could indirectly help.
posted by chevyvan at 8:58 AM on May 4, 2016
posted by chevyvan at 8:58 AM on May 4, 2016
I would say no. If they don't need to make accommodations for you, then it's none of their business.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 9:02 PM on May 4, 2016
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 9:02 PM on May 4, 2016
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posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:15 AM on May 4, 2016