11 replies to this topic

[r06ue1]

A position became available at a very prestigious law firm in town and I'm contemplating leaving my current position and taking one there.  Has anyone with CML on these boards went through a career change (one not forced upon you) and do you tell a potential employer about your CML?  CML is sort of a weird state; you are not cured but you are probably not dying anytime soon either.  The drugs do have side effects that we have to deal with and can affect our job performance but you aren't considered disabled by the Social Security system.  I know there are laws against discrimination and employers are supposed to make accommodations for disabled workers (not that we are truly considered disabled), just want to get some info from any of you that have changed jobs to for upward mobility reasons.

[AdamJ]

I am new here and will be looking for work once I finish graduate school, but I am quite interested in responses to this. Until reading this, I had assumed that telling an employer was pretty much a terrible idea. I am curious if people have mentioned this in the hiring process and actually landed a job. While there are certainly laws against discrimination, I suspect that most employers would find a reason to take another qualified candidate who didn't have cancer.  Perhaps I am just too cynical though.

[beno]

I also wondered about this.  I had assumed it would be difficult to get hired if you told people you had leukemia because cancer is a big, scary thing, but if you didn't tell them and got a job offer and they discovered it when you did a pre-employment physical, then you are starting off on the wrong foot at your new employer.

[RayT]

I'm not a lawyer (nor do I play one on TV,) but I believe it is illegal for an employer to ask about health, kids and other aspects of your life not DIRECTLY related to the performance of the job for which you're being interviewed. I know this is true for NYS Civil Service positions.

In the case of CML, I would not say anything; however, you'll be to be prepared with answers to questions such as, "Are you prepared to work 60-hour weeks on a regular basis?" or, "can you be in the office at 7am everyday?" Those are allowed questions because they are related to the performance of your job, not your health or family.

Here's an article I found: www.fastcompany.com/3037982/ask-the-experts/ask-the-experts-should-i-disclose-my-invisible-illness-before-i-get-hired

[tazdad08]

Very good point RayT. I was a regional manager over dozens of fast food establishments with an average of 225 employees working for me. An employer can not ask you direct questions that are family or health related unless they can word it to be work related. There are laws to protect us, no doubt. Lots of states are "work at will" states, like Tennessee, which means an employee can be terminated at any time for any reason...without just cause. That employee can draw unemployeement sometimes. But just as a hiring manager calling to check work references, tone of voice and choice of words says more than the actual words we say. I guess in short I am saying that they cant ask a person certain questions, but those questions are frequently asked in a reworded manner. I think I would consider telling them so that they cant terminate you later for falsifying you application. Just be sure to put the emphasis on your work history since being diagnosed. 

[r06ue1]

I'm not a lawyer, I should have specified that, I work in IT and would be moving from manufacturing to a law firm.  

 

The reason I was considering the job is it is closer to home, less driving (can take the train to work) and it is the best law firm in town.  

 

To tell the employer or not to tell:  

 

To tell them does leave you open to the possibility that they will look to the other candidate that doesn't have cancer.  I have personally been a witness to this type of discrimination in the past so I do know it exists.  I don't blame them, I think it is in our nature to avoid conflict whenever possible.  If you have two candidates, both with similar skills but one with cancer, would you hire the one with cancer (being a manager and you not having cancer or understanding it)?  

 

To not tell them just feels so wrong, like I am hiding something from them, and what if they found out about it eventually, then what?  Also, it does affect performance, whether it is the drug or the extra worry, mind is not working as well as it did prior to diagnosis.  

 

I have not been actively looking just for the above reasons.  My current employer also has been very accommodating since learning of my diagnosis and has looked the other way on multiple occasions when I forget something (keep notes!).  My preference before diagnosis was to move on at some point, find work closer to home or in a warmer climate, CML seems to have put that all on hold.  In the past, my skills have allowed me to move around the industry at will but today, I feel chained to my current employer.  

 

Such a dilemma.

[Trey]

If the CML or side effects of the medications caused me to be unable to do a job as well as I believed it should be done, I would disclose it.  But then, I would not seek that job in the first place.  So it would see a non-dilemma to me.

 

I made a major change just as I was being diagnosed -- not planned that way.  I never told anyone about my diagnosis except very close family, not even close friends.  Certainly never told anyone in the working world.

[beno]

I'm not a lawyer, I should have specified that, I work in IT and would be moving from manufacturing to a law firm.  

 

The reason I was considering the job is it is closer to home, less driving (can take the train to work) and it is the best law firm in town.  

 

To tell the employer or not to tell:  

 

To tell them does leave you open to the possibility that they will look to the other candidate that doesn't have cancer.  I have personally been a witness to this type of discrimination in the past so I do know it exists.  I don't blame them, I think it is in our nature to avoid conflict whenever possible.  If you have two candidates, both with similar skills but one with cancer, would you hire the one with cancer (being a manager and you not having cancer or understanding it)?  

 

To not tell them just feels so wrong, like I am hiding something from them, and what if they found out about it eventually, then what?  Also, it does affect performance, whether it is the drug or the extra worry, mind is not working as well as it did prior to diagnosis.  

 

I have not been actively looking just for the above reasons.  My current employer also has been very accommodating since learning of my diagnosis and has looked the other way on multiple occasions when I forget something (keep notes!).  My preference before diagnosis was to move on at some point, find work closer to home or in a warmer climate, CML seems to have put that all on hold.  In the past, my skills have allowed me to move around the industry at will but today, I feel chained to my current employer.  

 

Such a dilemma.

This is exactly how I feel.  

[CallMeLucky]

Three years ago I struggled with this decision.  I made the change to the new job.  I did not tell them about my illness, it was not relevant to the job and therefore no reason to disclose.  You do have to do your homework though and check your benefits to ensure you are getting the coverage you need.  You should get copies of the health plan and prescription benefits ahead of time.  I went so far as to call the benefits hotline for the new employer before I took the job since the woman in HR was not 100% sure about certain things.  I cleared up a lot of info with them anonymously.

 

The point made about life insurance above is also a valid one.  If you had life insurance with old employer that will go away unless you have an option to convert it, but that is usually very expensive and could require a health check to define the rate.  Most new jobs have an initial period where you can get coverage without a health check, then if you take the job and try to elect coverage later they can require you to do health check (note it is insurance company that does health check not employer; employer should not get to see that info).  So while switching could lose you some benefits, it could also potentially increase your benefits if you play it right.  If you do have this window to elect benefits when you first start without a health check you could potentially increase life insurance as well as potentially pick up disability insurance if you don't currently have it.

 

While I will admit the day after I quit my old job I completely freaked out, looking back it was a very good decision and things have worked out for me in the new role.  There is no reason you should let your illness hold you back.  You can keep your business to yourself but just make sure you check everything out ahead of time.  Good luck.

[r06ue1]

Not unable to do the job, just not as sharp as I once was.  

 

The points made about life insurance, short and long term disability and my accidental death and dismemberment insurance are big concerns as I currently do have all of these and losing these benefits would be a big negative with changing jobs.  

 

I have been doing some reading on the subject of "chemo" brain and found a good article on it that describes some of the symptoms I have been experiencing and some methods (which I have been using) to deal with it.  

 

http://www.cancer.ne...memory-problems

[beno]

Every job I've ever had required a pre-employment physical.  If I don't tell a prospective employer about my condition, I'm just nervous that the physical reveals my CML and my new boss thinks I hid it from him (which I did) and doesn't trust me and it doesn't go well from there.  Also, if you work at a small company, adding me and my Sprycel prescription could end up changing health insurance rates for the whole company.

[tazdad08]

Not unable to do the job, just not as sharp as I once was.  

 

The points made about life insurance, short and long term disability and my accidental death and dismemberment insurance are big concerns as I currently do have all of these and losing these benefits would be a big negative with changing jobs.  

 

I have been doing some reading on the subject of "chemo" brain and found a good article on it that describes some of the symptoms I have been experiencing and some methods (which I have been using) to deal with it.  

 

http://www.cancer.ne...memory-problems

I would have to really hate my job to walk away from the insurance... especially life and disability. You will have a hard time finding life insurance. At least I haven't been able to replace mine with an affordable plan.