Who Needs to Know?
To tell or not to tell? That is the question that hovers over many people with fibromyalgia, who wonder whether they should reveal their medical condition to their employers and colleagues. For some people, it may become impossible to keep their condition a secret. Eventually, your difficulties may become apparent. You may also need special accommodations in order to do your job. And if it becomes too much effort for you to keep your fibromyalgia a secret, you may simply want to relieve yourself of the burden of secrecy.
Still, it's important to think it through before deciding to discuss your condition with your employer. What will you gain from your revelation? What might you lose? If you work for a corporation with a strong commitment to helping the disabled, you could benefit from telling your employer. Perhaps you can work out a new schedule or shift from a full-time job to a part-time one. Maybe your employer would allow a job share with another employee.
On the other hand, if you do bring up your condition, you may raise questions about your competence. You may worry that you won't be considered for future promotions, plum positions, and special assignments. You may also encounter subtle forms of discrimination that are almost impossible to prove.
With prospective employers, you may be concerned that you'll be dismissed as a job candidate for fear of high medical bills. You may wonder, too, whether your coworkers will treat you differently and resent any special treatment you receive. All of these concerns are factors you should consider before deciding whether to reveal your illness.
Alert
Avoid overworking yourself just to prove that you can do the job as well as the next person. You may just cause a flare-up. The fact is that the next person may not have fibromyalgia or any other chronic condition. Instead, focus on accepting your limitations and maximizing your effectiveness within them.
For those with significant fibromyalgia, hiding the condition can become too difficult. You may wonder whether you really want to work in such an environment. If not, you may choose to be up front from the beginning. If your honesty keeps you from getting hired at all, it may be just as well.
If you do decide to tell your employer you have fibromyalgia, describe your condition in simple terms and explain how it might affect your work. Many people are still ignorant of fibromyalgia, and you may be educating your boss on the subject. Explain that you are not looking for sympathy, but rather for solutions. It's a good idea to research the kinds of changes you are looking for beforehand.
