Employers right to know Psych illness & Tx

[Da_Milk_of_Amnesia, MSN]

I went and got a job down at a major medical center in a major metro area where I live When I went to go do my employee health stuff I met with a nurse and she asked if I had been treated for any psychiatric or mental illnesses (it was a question right on the health hx sheet but i skipped it meaning that there wasnt any personal Hx of it) and she hands it back to me to fill out and i freeze up...Uhh uhh, well I was Dx'ed with ADHD i told her. Why didn't i shut up, cuz i froze up and i felt like i make it look like i was trying to hide something and i figured if i lied now they would totally know and think I had other, BIGGER issues to hide also. So we end up getting into a convo about it and i told her yea I went to a dude, I took a stupid test and they told me I have it, ok big whoop. Then she asks if i took meds and I said yea, I did for like a month and it gave me awful side effects and made me a zombie and that wasnt who i am and I wasn't gonna feel like I've been sedated, thats NOT how I'm going to live my life. So she tells me that this woman who is a case manager might want to speak with me. *** ! why do i have to tell you all about this ? Now I'm thinking to myself the whole time this convo is going on....This isn't something that affects my performance as a nurse, I've dealt with it for 26 years perfectly, I graduated at the top of my class, and I'm (i like to think) a damn good critical care nurse, WHAT DOES HAVing ADHD have to do with any of this ?? Then she case manager lady comes in and now SHE wants to speak to me about it and she asks me why I went and I didn't tell her the real reason because it had to do with me smoking pot when I was like 18 years old and in college, and I wanted to stop n there were other issues going on at the time also. So i fabricated some story and got thru that, she was asking me if it affected my ability to do things and im like NO it doesn't I do my job damn good if i must say. So after this case manager leaves the employee health RN says to me Oh it's just protocol...Protocol?..I said to her flat out, listen I'm sorry I even said anything about it, this isn't something that affects my life or how/when or where I do my job...I've dealt with this for 25 years and I do not like the stigma that follows people who have a mental illness/disorder or whatever

So my question is Has anyone ever heard of this before? I'm kinda mad I even said anything about it, and even if i have ADHD they can't legally do anything to me right or take away the job ? I'm just trying to wrap my head around the reasons why this would be protocol at all and what it has to do with my job or how I do it ?

Thanks in advance.

[loriangel14, RN]

I have never heard of this before and I don't think it's right if they are going to hassle you about it. I work with a nurse that has ADHD and she is a good nurse.Personally I don't think it's any of their business. It would be considered discrimination if they tried to put you out of work because of it. Stand your ground.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

I understand your anxiety, but I have to say that your whole post reminds me of patients who "forget" that they have had 2 heart attacks, a quad bypass and CHF because (as they say) "it has nothing to do with having my knee operated on."

It appears that you purposely left the form blank because you didn't want to answer the question. Then you did answer the question when asked point-blank, which looks even more suspicious than a straightforward initial answer. I wonder if such a big deal would have been made of the ADHD diagnosis in the past if you had just treated it as a normal question to be answered. I also have to wonder if the case manager now wonders if there is more that you haven't disclosed, since your initial answers were not 100% honest.

Do employers have a right to know psych illness? Well, do they have a right to know any illness? They certainly have the right to require a health history questionnaire and - every single healthcare provider is going to ask for that. Whether or not you choose to undergo the employment requirements is up to you.

[2011NursingStudent]

I found this for you -

During the period between the job offer and the time you start work, the employer may make disability related inquiries as long as he asks all of the people in the same job status the same questions. The ADA generally prohibits questioning that would provide information about disabilities, including prescription information. However, in this second period the employer could ask if you take any prescription drugs that would affect your ability to perform your job. The employer is forbidden to use that information to discriminate against you, unless they show that the information sought was job related and consistent with business necessity. This allows employers to screen out applicants that would be a safety hazard. For instance, the employer may keep people on strong medications from being bus drivers. The employer would also have to show that the criteria that kept the person from starting the job could not have been resolved with reasonable accommodations.

[caliotter3]

You won't bring this subject up again with an employer will you? Many people have a diagnosis of ADHD and their employer knows nothing about it. That is the best policy to follow as long as nothing impacts your ability to do your job.

[kythe, LPN]

I worry about these things because I'm not sure anti-discrimination laws apply to mental illness. Mental illness is a bit of a gray area, and isn't specifically a protected disability. Even for employers who don't overtly discriminate against the mentally ill, attitudes can still play a part in making it more difficult to be respected.

I'm not sure I would want to work for a company that used this type of screen on applicants. I hate feeling like I need to hide parts of myself, because I don't believe a managed mental illness is something to be embarrassed about. If asked point blank though and I really *needed* the job, I would probably say I have no history. Then, take it as a hint never to talk about this at work.

We've come a long way in our social acceptance of people with physical disabilities. But I don't believe attitudes toward mental illness are accepting enough yet to bring such issues into public knowledge.

[Gold_SJ]

In Australia no one has the right to know your personal health matters, particulary potentially stigma attached illness such as mental health or ADHD. Its up to you if you want to tell your employer here and only the BON can be given that information and again ONLY if it impacts your nursing care. (You can be told this quickly by your Dr or Psych if you need to inform the BON or not.

I guess you'll need to look up the laws in your area and find out if that information is a protected right you have or not. If not then tell them the least amount possible well...in this case where you're being given the third degree ^.^;; as no one likes being badgered. Open up to employers only if you feel comfortable doing so, after all some areas ask only so they can accommadate any needs you may have.

Overall I'm sorry you went through this stress, I hope things get better and less pressure is laid on your shoulders. Sometimes I think people get too tied up in the red tape or what if's.

And can forget you're no different then they, just have a different wrapping with different problems in your life.

[smily nurse, BSN, RN]

I pray for the day when bipolar,adhd,anxiety,depression etc etc are accepted as hypertension or diabetes are.:heartbeat