Job selection with IBS - telling employer?
#275680 - 07/26/06 04:17 AM
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Memmles
Reged: 04/07/06
Posts: 101
Loc: Silicon Valley, CA, USA
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Hey,
I wasn't sure how to search for this topic exactly without coming back with zillions of misc postings, so I was left to post it as a new message.
I'm currently in the job search process. For those who might remember, I went through (am STILL going through) a really rough time at my non-profit with the staffing changes. I was laid off - they did away with my position. I was the only staff member to get laid off while new positions were added and filled with new staff...but I digress. Obviously still dealing with bitterness/hurt issues there. 
In any case - as I'm job-searching, I'm sort of stuck in this desire to find an organization that can & will work with me and my "funky stomach". At my current job, I could always run home for a little while if I wasnt' feeling swell, then come back when I was better.
But I don't know the best way to go about dealing with this disorder with a new employer. I believe the anxiety I feel will dissipate if I know I have "escape routes" or that the new employer knows and understands the situation & will give me leeway to deal with it while still doing my job well.
Can anyone offer any tidbits of wisdom here? Do you mention it during the interview (I think not, but could be wrong)? Do you sit down with your supervisor early on in the job and explain?
Looking forward to hearing from ya.
~ E.
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East Palo Alto, CA (San Francisco Bay Area/Silicon Valley)
IBS-C, pain, nausea
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I've been battling with this sort of thing for awhile now. I feel that I've been less productive than usual at work the last few weeks, because I've been dealing so heavily with the stress of starting the EFI diet, and trying to stabilize myself. No one has mentioned that I'm not doing good work, and I think I'm the only one who notices, but I still wonder if I should talk to my boss and explain the situation, so he understands when I put "SICK" on my timecard more often one week than another. Do many of you out there tell your boss about your IBS?
I don't think I would mention it during an interview. Technically, it's really none of their business, and you don't want them to think you have some horrible disease that's going to severely impact your work performance. It might negatively bias their opinion of you. Maybe that doesn't sound right, or maybe it's not the best answer, but you should only talk to your boss when and if you are comfortable doing it. I, for one, wouldn't want to try to explain the situation to a total stranger. I'd wait until after I'd been on the job for awhile, and was more comfortable with my coworkers.
Lisa, IBS-C
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Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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Personally speaking, I always tell my employer (or future employer) right in the interview. I don't want to hide anything that may or may not make them change their decision. So far only once did it end up with me not getting the job and that was because there wasn't a bathroom in that place and I couldn't be running away if I needed to..
Basicly I word it as such to a new employer *I want you to be aware of something and I hope this doesn't change your mind but I do have a medical condidtion. I do have IBS and while most of the time it is under control, I sometimes need to be able to run off to the bathroom at the drop of a hat* Usually they understand.. At my current job (been here over a year and a half) we recently had a new manager start and on the first day he was here I told him about it, and he is completly understanding..
To sum up, personally, I belive that if an employer isn't going to hire you because of it, then you don't want to be working at that place anyways.. If you are upfront right off the bat with them, it will be less stress for you and for the employer.. But again, those are just my thoughts.. good luck...
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I would have to agree that explaining IBS in an interview would not be my first choice. Being a school teacher, I have to fill out medical info for the front office staff. I usually tell them then about IBS. I explain that there are trigger foods, etc. Having better control of my IBS has really helped with few if any attacks at work or other inconvienent places. I don't know if that is helpful. Getting control of IBS will make living better all the way around. Don't get discouraged, you will find the right job fit.
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I would absolutely *not* share the info up front, if at all, ever. There is no ethical issue as far as I am concerned. IBS is not the same as epilepsy (for instance), where you or someone else could be injured if it was not known you had the condition.
It's been my experience that an employer is more likely to give you leeway when needed if you are demonstrating overall that you have a great work ethic... and you can't demonstrate that if you can't get a job. I agree with LisaMarie, it could set up a negative bias that isn't necessary. A potential employer just *isn't* going to hire the person they think is going to be "out sick all the time," whether that's the reality or just the perception. If you set them up to think that way, it's one strike already against you.
I work at a professional consulting firm, and honestly, it's just not a big deal if someone has to get up to go to the bathroom, and it's not a crisis if they are gone awhile. Where I work, people do get waylaid by others in the hallways, etc. Any number of things keep people from being at their desks at a given time. A "popular" one here is that their kid gets sick and they have to leave early.
If you do have to "run for it" or go home occasionally, just explain (briefly!) at the time or soon afterwards. You speak the truth when you say plainly and simply, "Sorry about that... I ate something that didn't agree with me." My sense is that people at work generally do not want to hear a lot of talk about our "ailments," whatever they are. If you don't make a big deal about your IBS, I suspect others won't, either.
Well, that's just what I would do.
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Check multiple sources and make the best-informed decision possible!
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Thanks so much for all the input! Keep it coming...I'm sure this is a handy topic for others too.
I agree that bringing this up in an interview (the 1st interview) wouldn't always be the right move. For me, it would depend on the folks i'm interviewing with - if I'm interviewing at a church or non-profit (where I'd like to work) and it's more laid-back than if I was in a big corporation with tons of competition, I might consider explaining it towards the end if things are going well.
I like the idea of full-disclosure (without being graphic) whenever appropriate - particularly when saying "I have this, but I'm doing x,y,z to keep it under control- but sometimes it does flare up". And then guaranteeing them that any work responsibilities would be caught up on.
Besides, my issue is more pain and nausea, not having to "run". I would run home to rest if I was feeling ill or in pain at this current job. So it's easier to manage in that I don't have to zoom to the bathroom all the time, but a little more troubling to me - one who is terrified of vomitting. Can't win, can we??
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East Palo Alto, CA (San Francisco Bay Area/Silicon Valley)
IBS-C, pain, nausea
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Hi there! I'll just share my personal experience and maybe it'll help you. I'm a 'professional student' but I take semesters to intern and such. I did an 8 month assignment last year and let my boss and co-workers know right away that I had IBS. It was nice in that they let me leave early if I needed to (that rarely happened) but I got slapped with the "sick girl who doesn't eat" stigma which I hated!
I'm interning now with the same company and made no mention of my problems. I've been sicker this time, but my stubborn streak keeps me at work all day so no one knows the difference. I just recently told an upper level manager that I'm not super healthy and was trying a new diet and he's been great about it.
I personally don't plan on telling employers that I have IBS. I tend to make a 40 hour week no matter how sick I am but if I get too sick, I'll tell them I'm not feeling well and ask to go home, then make up hours later. If you feel you may miss an excessive amount of days or get behind on your work, then morally you may want to tell them but honestly, I wouldn't.
In my opinion, it's a non-issue until it becomes an issue (aka having to go home and rest for a day)
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~*If you can dream it, you can do it*~ Walt Disney
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"Run for it" = to the bathroom if you have to puke. I would hate to work someplace where people weren't sympathetic to that... but in reality, I doubt anyone's going to tell you to your face, "no, you're not a good fit for the position if you have IBS." They'd be afraid of a lawsuit.
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Check multiple sources and make the best-informed decision possible!
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Hi,
I personally would not bring it up in an interview. A person's skills and qualifications are what make them the successful candidate...medical conditions should not be a factor.
Dependant on the type of job you have, should determine whether or not you tell your boss. My experience was such that I confided in my boss because there were times that I may have to leave meetings etc, and or days I wouldn't be able to travel.
I think that may be easy for me to say because I have a female boss and she is very understanding. But also as a supervisor myself, I've confided my stomach issues to my staff and this opened the door for one of my staff to also share her own personal medical issues. Knowing this also helps when you're a supervisor. Not that it changes your opinion of your staff, it just helps to be a more supportive boss.
Overall it was a positive experience for me. Follow your insticts....good luck 
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Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away
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