Disclosure decisions

For workers with episodic conditions, disclosure is no simple matter

Summary:

Studies on Communication-support processes paint a complex picture for both workers and organisations regarding individuals’ decisions on whether or not to disclose an episodic and hidden disability to the employer. Monique Gignac and Uyen Vu from the Canadian Institute for Work & Health explain.

‘Should I tell my employer about my health condition? What do I risk if I do or don’t? People have been asking about my late mornings in recent weeks. Will I lose their trust if I don’t reveal more? Or if it gets out that I have this health condition, will my co-workers think differently about me and my ability to do my job? I prefer to keep my health private. How can I be sure that what I tell others won’t be misused?’

Whether to disclose a health condition …

 

Dr Monique Gignac is senior scientist and scientific director at the Institute for Work & Health (IWH), in Toronto, Canada. She is also the principal investigator of a research partnership called Accommodating and Communicating about Episodic Disabilities (ACED) – a five-year research project bringing together researchers and community partners to develop evidence-based workplace tools, resources and training programmes to support the sustained employment of people with episodic disabilities.

 Uyen Vu is communications manager at the IWH. The IWH is a Toronto-based not-for-profit organisation that conducts research to support policy-makers, employers and workers in creating healthy, safe and inclusive work environments.

Author: Gignac M, Vu U

Tags disability discrimination health work and wellbeing reasonable adjustments

Occupational Health at Work February/March 2024 (vol. 20/5) pp21-24

Download full article