Overcoming Discrimination to get a job

Let’s face it, discrimination is a fact of life for many people with a mental health condition. The media ... reporting that a person with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder has got a job, graduated with a first class degree or been promoted at work just isn’t news.

But discrimination is also the most illogical thing in the world.  Discrimination only exists as a result of this type of biased misinformation and ignorance.  Discrimination is based on fiction and not fact.  Armed with this knowledge and a marketing strategy, you can go a long way to dispel any myths and convince any reasonable employer to take you on.  Believe me, I’ve done it.

The first thing you have to do is to know your rights.  Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), you are entitled to ask for reasonable adjustments to do your job.  These could include flexible working hours, working from home or working part-time on a job share.  Even if you are applying to a new employer, you are entitled to ask for these things up front.  This automatically widens the options open to you, as you can now apply for jobs that you thought were a closed book, such as full-time jobs on a job share basis, or jobs where flexibility of working hours would allow you to avoid the nightmare trip to work on public transport at peak time.

Equally, an employer is not allowed to discriminate against you because you have a mental health condition.  You do not have to tell the interview panel the exact nature of your condition, just that you are covered by the DDA.  It is up to the organisation to find about what adjustments are required, by taking advice from an independant medical professional, to make sure that you are accommodated, but the exact nature of the condition should remain confidential.

 Applying for Jobs

When applying for jobs, I would recommend the following strategy:  Include a covering letter with your application stating “I have a medical condition covered by the Disability Discrimination Act.  I require time off for medical appointments and some flexibility of working hours.  Other minor adjustments may be required.”  No reasonable employer can deny these requests.  Note that I have not mentioned exactly what the medical condition is, as you are entitled to keep this confidential.

You may be reading this article, and cynically saying to yourself “Yes but they would still find a reason not to employ me if I disclose my condition and ask for adjustments”.  I would agree, that unfortunately, this is always a risk, but this is where your job application skills and marketing strategy comes in.  I would stick to applying for jobs in large organisations with an equality and diversity strategy where there is a clearly defined person specification and job description. 

You must then meticulously prepare your application to cover every single area of the person specification, concentrating on the essential criteria.  Address each item in a headed list and give an example of how you meet this criteria as concisely as possible.  Use examples from past jobs, your voluntary or personal life.

Preparing for and Handling the Interview 

Use the same strategy for preparing for the interview.  Concentrate on the person specification and think of questions you may be asked.  Think of concise answers expanding on the examples you have given on your application form.  Research the organisation and think of a few questions to ask them.  Safe questions include asking about training and development opportunities or questions relating to the main tasks of the job. 

Your employer may ask for more information about the condition at interview.  I would recommend answering direct questions truthfully in terms that they can understand e.g. “I have a stress related condition where I may occasionally require extra support, or time off to attend medical appointments”.  This covers you and presents the condition on the best possible light.  If the interviewer probes further, simply say that you would be happy to discuss it with an Occupational Health Officer. 

These strategies have helped me and I have never been out of work.  I hope that they also help you to get back into employment or to get another job.  Next time, I will discuss how to manage sickness absence at work.

 
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