Should I Tell or Not? | ADHD Information

[QUOTE=GlenW]

I'd say if it's a worksite where ADHD could be a
genuine hazard (factory work where danger of death is inherent), fire
dept., hospital, etc. that ADHD should be directly included on the
resume as to disclose.猬 a few lawyers as friends and relatives lol.[/
P][/QUOTE]I've read that jobs with high stimulation such as a
hospital emergency room or fire dept. were good choices for
ADHDers.

My ADHD son was a cook / kitchen manager for several years and
needed Ritalin to do it well. Cooking in a busy restaurant is a very
demanding job.

Good points but I worry about high-tension jobs like that due to our lack of personal attention and lack of detail-completion. I wouldn't have wanted me to take care of me 10 years ago lol. But for some I guess it works out well!

As for the cooking well taken that point is valid. ADHD may not be good for the server though - I couldn't hold my own menu at home together lol.

Glenw, jobs that require high attention are more stimulating for ADHDers and they pay more attention because of it. ADHDers can hyperfocus on things they find interesting. An ADHDer firefighter may find the downtime between calls tedious and boring, but is willing to put up with it for the adrenaline producing, high energy, stimulating emergency calls.

Repetitious jobs like some factory work might not be ADHDer friendly.

Chef Bo, a famous Chef, in an interview, said that commercial kitchens are the last politically incorrect work environment. If you work in a kitchen, is your boss willing to make lists, directions, recipes, duties, etc. for you and other staff to refer to? Verbal directions and memory problems can be difficult for ADHDers in new jobs. Strattera also might be helping, but perhaps it's not the best medication for you. Have you told your doctor you are still having difficulty at work?
IMac38831.807025463[QUOTE=doggidoc]Anyways, I asked my therapist this same question and she suggested not to disclose UNLESS you need accomidations. ADD is a disability and we are entiteled by law to recieve accomidations if needed. If, after disclosure, you are being discriminated against then it is time to drop in converstation that you just met a great disabiities lawyer.[/QUOTE]

If you disclose ADHD on your job application, the employer could refuse to hire you, right?

If you disclose that you have ADHD and need accomodations when you apply for a job and the employer is o.k. with this, but changes his mind later, you might have a case against the employer, right?

If you know you have ADHD, but choose not to disclose in your application or interview, are hired and then demand accomodations does the employer have to comply?

If you have worked well at a job for an extended period of time and then discover you have ADHD an employer does not have grounds to dismiss you.

Chef Bo, a good friend was injured at work and left with a severe vision impairment. Worker's Comp assisted him in finding new employment. The counsellor told my friend that if he disclosed his handicap on the application, to expect only 1 response for every 100 applications. This was in the days of low unemployment. My friend chose not to use the assistance of Worker's Comp in finding a job and chose not to disclose his impairment. He had no difficulty finding employment.

It's a tough one to judge Imac. A lot of work places, although they cannot discriminate out front do have disclosure agreements when signing up for work that can allow termination not for the disability but rather if you don't disclose it as it's purgery. Lying on an application even if it's to ensure equal treatment could be grounds to let you go if they have a good lawyer at the helm of HR.

I'd say if it's a worksite where ADHD could be a genuine hazard (factory work where danger of death is inherent), fire dept., hospital, etc. that ADHD should be directly included on the resume as to disclose. But most jobs ADHD cannot be considered more than a minor obstacle if not a bonus skill for creativity. They may not see it that way if they have no or little medical coverage but they will see the benefits if they hire.

For cooking I cannot see any reason that ADHD would be a problem IF you work to your utmost at control of the ADHD and keeping your nose clean. The only way one of us with even moderate to almost severe ADHD cannot keep a job they love with meds, therapy and effort. If you hate the job the ADHD will cause you to fail every time but then you must ask yourself why you are there??

Hard one to crack honestly. I want to be honest but even I may lie when applying if it's a job I love and I sense danger if I disclose. Canada is a bit more stringent on disability not being a grounds due to the charter of rights we have but there's always a way to can someone you don't want around. Bias will always find a way I suppose unless you have a few lawyers as friends and relatives lol.

[QUOTE=GlenW]

[/QUOTE]

This handicapped friend has no illusions about his disability and was careful to choose employment he had experience in. He has a great work ethic and lots of ability. Perhaps because of his disability, he tends to stay with a job for many years; sixteen years in the last one.

In Canada, Worker's Comp. still expects people on full disability pensions to seek employment. No one gets 100% of their lost wage level. Pensions are adjusted over the years and based on a percentage of what the pensioner would receive if they were still employed in the job they were in at the time of their accident.

I once told someone I had add, and her response was to literally start screaming at me and to call me "manipulative."

I really don't think that such people are "bad" people - I think there are many people who truly believe that people who say they have add are just whiners, etc., and these types of people hearing us say we have add become extremely frustrated to hear the "excuse."

I think people's feelings more often come out more subtely but I still don't recommend revealing the disability.

TheDog38831.8583449074I'm wailing with Dog on this one.

I'd manipulate the screamer right out of my life if possible. This person has issues.

Speaking of Manipulation...Another problem is if you disclose to a manipulative boss (God help you!!!)--My boss, on top of treating me like I am an idiot, somehow believes that I have NO memory, I guess! Yesterday we got into it because she said that she told me something last week and I had agreed to it. OK-Well, once again her stereotypical ADD senerio she has painted of me is so warped! I remember exactly what she said to me almost verbatium and when I told her, she got really hostile and never did agree that my position was correct. Sadly in order to keep my job and keep the peace, I had to say "I guess I totally misunderstood what you said". Argh!

The seeds of resentment are being sown deep!! psychgirl38832.203125

psychgirl, I can total realate. I too have been treated this way, when I told my boss that my dd has adhd. she started to treat me as if I had it. and she would say the same things your boss said. the sad part is that I am very detailed oreinted and she loved my work because of it, however, she treated me like an idiot. I no longer work there.

I would never tell my boss or slow my child to tell her coches. they don't need to know unless a situation occurs that I may need to say something.

as far as family knowing, i would rather shoot myself in the head then tell my inlaws anymore info......they are the idiots. ever since i told them about dh, they treat her as if she is HELEN KELLER. and I know helen, wouldn't like it either.

I have generally not had good experiences disclosing any personal information in the workplace. A lot of people are just looking for a reason to stand taller than someone else. I learned to smile and take the blame for misunderstandings just to have some peace. Really, what I had misunderstood was the depths people will sink to out of competitiveness or stupidity. Many unhappy years.

That being said, the workplace I have now is very open and understanding about disabilities of all kinds (get the job done, and get left alone). The majority of the people in the building do the same job I do... and it could have been DESIGNED for an ADHDer. Therefore, there are tons of us who work there (diagnosed or not). No one discloses, since it is pretty obvious. At least a third, of the people in the building would say "ADHD? Me too. Now get to work." My coworkers hardly even blink at blurtatious moments or someone going around circles. A lot of times, people chuckle and say "Glad it isn't just me."

I wouldn't tell, and I don't tell.

I am ADHD. So don't get mad but,

I think what they hear is when told is:

"I'm going to screw up really bad sooner or later."

or

"I have an imaginary condition and expect special treatment"

or just

"I am screwed up bad and I'm going to screw up"

Nobody wants to hear this stuff.

I wouldn't tell because it is none of their business. If you are being treated, you can decide for yourself if you are making it or not. If you get the clues from your employer that you are not doing the job, he or she is not going to let you keep it because they know you have ADD.

If, on the other hand, you find out that the feeling about ADD and ADHD are accepted and talked about. That is a different story.

Just my own experience.

Chef - I have to agree that the die are cast and now that you've decided to this point to stay quiet about your ADHD that doing it now would seem a cop-out and most likely doom you from the start.

You need to sweat at this and work your hardest to get through the probation period. Then if you make it you could talk to the human resources and let them know about it. Once you've succeeded then the ADHD can be seen as a minor flaw and even as a possible plus as it gives creativity and abstract thought.

I know from first-hand experience that you can hold it together 3 months. After that it's up to you though. You must strive hard and if you still can't I'd have to believe you aren't truly trying or you are sabotaging yourself out of some dislike for the job or belief that you simply aren't good enough or deserving. You had best think hard on where you are and what you truly want.

Are you on therapy?? It's so important and right now you truly need someone to coach you through the hard times you are in.

Best wishes.

I have been fired from jobs that I am pretty sure was because of my ADD but I have chosen not to tell. My H's family does not know that my daughter and I have ADD because I know they will judge us so I made the decision not to tell them. I have been in my 2 current jobs for a long time. I've made mistakes but have learned from them and have learned from each experience how to better work around some limitations I may have. I also am in therapy which is a great help in learning to work with life's situations and how my brain is wired. It's also a good idea to find a job that fits you. I have done ok so far without disclosing. I want everyone to see me as an equal. I do not want pity or special treatment. And if that means I have to work twice as hard as the next person, then so be it. It only makes me stronger. I have my bad days and screwups but with support from my friends here and therapy I get through it and continue to do ok without disclosing. I hope this new job works out for you. Good luck and keep posting. Gread advice and support from a great group of people here. Hang in there. Dee lostmyshoe38831.2030555556I wasn't going to tell my employer, but because I was afraid that it would come up in my drug screen I told my boss. Now I wish I wouldn't have. The reason- because unlike all of us who understand ADD most people don't. From the moment I said ADD, she has treated me different. I don't have ADHD, yet she constantly tells me I talk to much, or I'm hyper! WHAT? OK! If I was any less talkitive or hyper I'd be a corpse! Then after meetings and things she asks me "Did you understand all that? Did you get confused?" or she'll say "focus". I want to SCREAM! I AM NOT AN IDIOT LADY! I HAVE ADD!!Don't TELL until they act like they are really going to fire you, then perhaps you can slide it in in a menacing "I might sue you for discrimination" sortof way. If you tell now you might keep your job but it will be HELL for the rest of your time there. Trust me I know!

I am looking for some advice from the group's collective experience.

A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with Adult ADD. My doctor put me on Stratera which has helped tremendously with my concentration.

I believe I was fired from my last job because of my ADD behavior. I was diagnosed with ADD a couple of months before I was fired and although the Stratera helped me in the areas my employer were displeased with, I think it was too little too late.

I have been working at my present job for about 45 days. I am on a 90 day probation period. At times I still make dumb mistakes due to my ADD but I put a tremendous amout of effort into my concentration and for the most part I feel I have things under control.

I was wondering if I should share with my boss that I have ADD. I can't afford to get fired again but perhaps it would help my new boss understand when I have my "spasdict moments".

What does the group think?

Don't tell. The time to tell would have been during the interview and before they hired you.

I am new to the world of ADD as I was just diagnosed a few weeks ago. (Of course looking back I believe my ADDisms were the reason I could never hold down a job.

Anyways, I asked my therapist this same question and she suggested not to disclose UNLESS you need accomidations. ADD is a disability and we are entiteled by law to recieve accomidations if needed. If, after disclosure, you are being discriminated against then it is time to drop in converstation that you just met a great disabiities lawyer.

I do agree with GlenW, though, you should wait at least the 90 days.

They need to know cause when you take the drug test they will see something showing in your test results. Those on stims most likely anyhow. I just tell I process slow so please give me short directions told slowely.

Chef Bo,

This is my first post ever on this wonderful support forum of people alike myself in a lot of way! - however I have to disagree with not disclosing to your employer of your ADHD especially since you seem to have it undercontrol & you WANT to keep your job. Here's a link to the ADA law - much is mentioned about our disability. Check it out so you understand your rights & how they apply to your own situation & then you can decide whether to 'tell or not'... Good luck! Graci

http://www.eeoc.gov/

How laws are meant to apply and how they are applied can be very different.