Poll of the Day > Filling out a job application, would you identify as having a disability if..

(+) Yeah! (+)

This list has "major depression" and "PTSD" on their list of disabilities. Would you identify as having a disability or not? Is it detrimental to do so?

It says they're required to hire a certain amount of people with disabilities because they work with the government.
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Were you diagnosed with depression or any other mental or physical disability by a doctor or therapist?

If so, then put in yes. I'm pretty sure they would have good reason to let you go if you lie about it.
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Yes, I have diagnoses for both from several different places.
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Okay, I didn't know if it would negatively affect my chances. I know legally it isn't supposed to but I know things can happen behind the scenes.

Dynalo posted...

It's a tough one. It seems if anything, a government position is most likely to be accommodating to it. If it were a private organization, there's almost no chance I would say yes to that.

This is my fear. It's a private organization. It doesn't usually affect my job performance but sometimes I do take a day off because of my depression but it's usually sick time or PTO. I am on medication now though so hopefully it wouldn't be as big an issue as in the past.
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Misread that so rereplying.

thedeerzord posted...

Were you diagnosed with depression or any other mental or physical disability by a doctor or therapist?

If so, then put in yes. I'm pretty sure they would have good reason to let you go if you lie about it.

The concern would be not getting an interview at all by saying yes. It would be a very odd thing to fire someone about, you would have to really piss someone off for them to use that as an excuse to fire you, and they would have found another reason to get rid of you.
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Jen0125 posted...

Yes, I have diagnoses for both from several different places.

Oh. Well in that case yes. I haven't been officially diagnosed with anxiety but a lot of professionals claim I probably have it. Don't think I'd announce that to a employer though as it wouldn't effect me doing the job and I'm not on medication for it.
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Jen0125 posted...

Dynalo posted...
It's a tough one. It seems if anything, a government position is most likely to be accommodating to it. If it were a private organization, there's almost no chance I would say yes to that.

This is my fear. It's a private organization. It doesn't usually affect my job performance but sometimes I do take a day off because of my depression but it's usually sick time or PTO. I am on medication now though so hopefully it wouldn't be as big an issue as in the past.

Yeah. Sometimes you get lucky and get someone understanding, but just as likely that you'll get the HR person that will toss it in the trash. I was in counselling for a couple months earlier in the year and I let my boss know what was up and they were fine with it, but I'm not sure how many employers are truly willing to risk the dice roll and dealing with that potential baggage right from the get-go.
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Jen0125 posted...

Okay, I didn't know if it would negatively affect my chances. I know legally it isn't supposed to but I know things can happen behind the scenes.

Dynalo posted...

It's a tough one. It seems if anything, a government position is most likely to be accommodating to it. If it were a private organization, there's almost no chance I would say yes to that.

This is my fear. It's a private organization. It doesn't usually affect my job performance but sometimes I do take a day off because of my depression but it's usually sick time or PTO. I am on medication now though so hopefully it wouldn't be as big an issue as in the past.

The problem is, they can say you are not qualified, even when you are cause they saw that. But once hired, since it already has been disclosed, it does make it harder to fire you, if it is something related to said disability
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Veedrock- posted...

Dynalo posted...

There is a very real concern that saying "yes" to that question would scare off interviewers and immediately get your application tossed out.

That's illegal.

It's also illegal to ask applicants this question.
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HelIWithoutSin posted...

Veedrock- posted...

Dynalo posted...

There is a very real concern that saying "yes" to that question would scare off interviewers and immediately get your application tossed out.

That's illegal.

It's also illegal to ask applicants this question.

And I'd love to see you try and prove you didn't get an interview solely because of it.
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Dynalo posted...

HelIWithoutSin posted...

Veedrock- posted...

Dynalo posted...

There is a very real concern that saying "yes" to that question would scare off interviewers and immediately get your application tossed out.

That's illegal.

It's also illegal to ask applicants this question.

And I'd love to see you try and prove you didn't get an interview solely because of it.

Yeah, right?

Anyway, I said yes because if they decide to interview me I'd rather be able to get able to get accommodations than not. Sigh.
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Personally I wouldnt disclose that to an employer unless I had FMLA or something.

Its messed up but in my experience people are still very narrow minded and judgmental towards people with mental health problems
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Mead posted...

Personally I wouldnt disclose that to an employer unless I had FMLA or something.

Its messed up but in my experience people are still very narrow minded and judgmental towards people with mental health problems

i wish the rules we're different, if they can perform the job 100% to required performance it shouldn't be a problem despite ones handicap such as PTSD or having only one arm.
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I got a referral from an employee so hopefully that'll help out too.
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Yes; it's important to list those if you have them. One of the things I've noticed is that a lot of employers don't know how to handle people with depression or PTSD and, if uninformed, can easily put them in situations which can massively aggrivate them. For example, putting someone with depression as a cashier where they're right in the line of fire for all sorts of customer abuse.

As someone with depression (and in the hopes someone will listen), employers... It's important to realize that we are NOT fragile beings who sob at the drop of the hat. If you have an employee who does that there are other concerns. However, just because you don't have to treat us like a danty little piece of china doesn't mean you can just shove us wherever and expect things to go okay. It's best to sit down and talk to them about their depression then figure out a job where it won't get aggravated and assign them there.
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I think if you have the potential to need any time off due to the disorder than yeah you need to say yes.
Don't leave them with the option to say you didn't disclose that. Which could then be a reason to terminate you.

I know my advice is late, but whatever I'm telling you anyway!

You lost your insurance job?
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dragon504 posted...

You lost your insurance job?

No. I'm just applying for other jobs.
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Dynalo posted...

HelIWithoutSin posted...

Veedrock- posted...

Dynalo posted...

There is a very real concern that saying "yes" to that question would scare off interviewers and immediately get your application tossed out.

That's illegal.

It's also illegal to ask applicants this question.

And I'd love to see you try and prove you didn't get an interview solely because of it.

I have literally been asked if I was Catholic in a bumfuck Kentucky job interview. I walked out of the interview. It wasn't a ragequit, I just didn't think it'd pay enough on top of the dysfunctional environment that seemed inevitable if they had the stupidity to ask a question like that in an interview.
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Jen0125 posted...

dragon504 posted...

You lost your insurance job?

No. I'm just applying for other jobs.

Change of pace, or looking to get paid more?
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Looking for something different.
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I personally don't think you should. Like some others have said, it's that people don't really understand mental health. Personally I don't think it's none of their business anyways. When employers ask for disabilities, It's mainly for physical limitations that could come up.
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yutterh posted...

I personally don't think you should. Like some others have said, it's that people don't really understand mental health. Personally I don't think it's none of their business anyways. When employers ask for disabilities, It's mainly for physical limitations that could come up.

I think the problem is that a lot of people who don't have any major mental health issues think that you're either faking or that you can just 'get over it'. Maybe they'll understand that, if you have war-related PTSD that you shouldn't be a security guard; but try convincing them that your depression means that having him shout at you for providing 'sub-optimal customer service' because you forgot to ask a customer if you could help them with anything else is a BAD thing and you may as well be talking to a brick. And yes, that has happened.

Edit: Or are one step short of going full loony on them. So you're either faking, can get over it on a whim, or are about one step away from attacking someone with jelly rubbed all over your belly while screaming out 'I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy'.
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I've never checked "yes" on that box for any job application that I've filled out. PTSD has a really bad stigma attached to it that I just don't have the time or energy to combat anymore.
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No. The stigma against mental illness and nural non-typicality is unfortunate but very real. I have never let an employer know I'm ADHD and never intend to.
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It's possible to win the lottery, but in general, don't ever say yes to any such question ever.

It's one thing to disclose it after your hired, but even then, a company can find ways to let an employee go if they really don't want them to work there. If your job performance doesn't suffer though, they probably wouldn't, once you are hired.

In the hiring process though, they have full power to decide who to interview etc. Gov jobs are a bit diff, but even so, saying you have a disability is one thing (and sometimes they need to hire x number of people with them), saying you have a mental disability/depression etc though?

Generally pays to come off as positive and motivated as possible in an interview. Even if you pull that off, stating that you suffer from depression can ruin it. Sadly most jobs have tons of applicants now adays, and employeers are going to look for the person who is most likely to excell.

You could get lucky though, maybe the person hiring also suffers from depression etc, but yeah, I would never put that down. They can not fire you later for not stating it btw, and they can't even find out unless you tell them (and they really shouldn't be able to ask, except I guess they are getting around that by claiming it's a disability..and they are required to hire so many people with disabilities).

Basic rule of thumb for interviewing/resumes etc, put your best self forward. Show all the good qualities you have, experience, goals etc. Most people do that so it still helps to have things that make you stand out, just so you can actually get an interview (at which point your personality can shine).

Anything that gets in the way of getting that interview, is bad.
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