Quick story:

dx two months ago symptoms two years...started job in sales early Aug.

Asked myself should I tell employer or not and wait it out?
in making my decision I asked few close friends who work for company and they both replied NO Way....these guys don't care...i have to admit that is image that is projected..however they always said let us know about anything and we will try to work with you.

Poll of friends and family 90% say no....10% not sure...wife suportive no matter what.

So back on me.
I asked myself if they gave me a ration would I really want to use my skills to help this company? and second do I still believe that people are generally good no matter what "mask" they where at work. I was once a manager and felt that if someone couldn't come to me with a problem then I would not think much of myself as a manager..no matter how demanding I may have been during projects.

I did tell my boss....they are very supportive..I asked for some leave so I can focus on family this holiday and come back more refreshed in Jan. The answer was no problem and I have a home here. I also found out that they have had others in past years who had issues and they work with them.

My boss also informed me that six years ago he had med. condition in which he stepped down for a year and he was thankful for the treatment he recieved from employer so is happy to be able to help others out.

Lesson I learned and wanted to belive is that give people a chance to show their support and they generally come through. Treat people the way you want to be treated and you recieve the same. By opening up we learn that as humans we are not alone in hardships. And if by chance they turn out to be jerks we don't need the stress anyway. love that face..be well all and hope this little story helps

Eric aka kman

Eric -

Thank you so much for sharing your story - it brought tears to my eyes.

I am of the optimistic bent that most will react as your employer did, with compassion and reason. If given a welcoming and understanding environment, most people with PD can keep working long past dx. And you are correct that if not, then who needs the stress; if a new job is beyond comprehension and ability to cope .... that is why we have the Social Security system. Take care of your health!

A great seasonal message!

keep the faith

This also saves you from the stress of trying to hide your problems. That alone is hugely valuable. And even if you had guessed wrong, imagine what a hell the next few years could have been in that case.

It might even be possible for your boss to shift you into low stress roles. Done at this early stage instead of waiting until it is absolutely necessary could buy you and the company ten productive years you would not have had otherwise.

And should the local paper someday decide to do one of those periodic "valiant PWP" writeups, make your employer sound like Mother Teresa (after clearing it with them, of course) to return the favor and encourage others.

Telling your employer of a medical condition is a tough thing to do. In my case, I didn't have much choice. They all had noticed my stumbling around and the tremor. There was just no way to hide it. On top of that it took so long to get a diagnosis. The next day I went into my manager's office and told him what was going on. He was relieved that it wasn't drugs, alcohol or something like that causing my problems.
At that point he went on to tell the upper management. Within a few days they were bending over backwards to help me out. I worked for another 2 years before I just couldn't take the pace anymore. I don't know how much input your employer has on your getting SSDI but I got mine the very first time I applied with no problems. It's been 8 years since I retired and I still have someone from the company contact me every month to see how I'm doing and if they can do anything to help. I haven't been able to get them to give me more money as yet, but you just never know.

GregD

When I accepted my current job I was 6 years into my dx and I told them of my PD and said I may only be available for 2-3 years. It is now nearly 17 years later and eneryone has been very responsive to my needs.

I have a handicapped parking place near the door ( I use it only in the winter). I get wonderful pledges during our annual walkathon. They gave me many wonderful gifts when I had my DBS surgeries. They have filled out 2-3 workers comp claims when I fell at work even though there was no injury involved. The list goes on and on.

Recently a lady I work closely with said I should use a cane and I said I didn’t want my boss seeing me in such a condition and she said she was in a conversation with the Executive Director and he said I have job for as long as I want to work.

Also my 27 year old daughter works with us and is being groomed for my job when I decide it’s time to hang it up.

I couldn’t have it any better!

Dale

high flying consultancy no room for the "weak".

When I told them they were brilliant, invalided me off ASAP and have been great ever since.

A lot depends on the job, your symptoms and the financial position you are faced with. Remember companies can always find ways of getting rid of you if they want to.

My advice, stay quiet until it suits you or you have to.

Good luck,
Neil.

Eric aka kman, my dx was one year ago November 2006, with increasing symptoms over the last two. Same question but with a side bar, should I admit to being a PWP during the interview process? It’s a year now seeking a second career after, 20 in the last, and find that the stress of the interview causes increased tremors.
jafs

I had problems for years that I didn't recognize as PD. At the beginning of this year, it had become clear that something was very wrong and my doctor had me stop working. I was off for months with no diagnosis other than something like "undetermined neurological problem."

My HRS department was adamant that I not talk with anyone about my condition, not even my direct supervisor. The HRS department took control over my time reports and pretty much told my boss that she didn't need to know anything about my condition. People I had worked with for more than a decade were left with no idea about why I wasn't at work anymore.

I had a problem with that. It didn't seem to make sense to me. I missed being able to talk with people I considered friends. On occasion I let it out to someone and every time HRS reminded me not to do it. I'm basically a person who is comfortable in sharing my feelings.

The reason HRS has a policy about not disclosing the nature of employee illnesses is to avoid prejudice. Unfortunately, they probably have good reason for this policy.

A few months ago, I applied for a manager position at another university about eight miles from the university where I work now. During my career I have gained a lot of experience in both management and computer programming. I'm finding the programming to be too demanding so I thought a strictly managerial position would be something I could handle better.

My references had all been called and each said the calls went well. Then I got a card from the other university that said I didn't meet qualifications. Well, one might wonder, why would they have called my references if I didn't meet qualifications? The job was in student affairs and I have fourteen years of experience as a manager in student affairs. I also have a Master's Degree in Business Administration. I can't prove this, but my opinion is that someone got the message to the other university that I had PD and they immediately cut me off.

Maybe it's for the best. As long as I stay with my current employer, I have the rights and privileges of a long-time employee and an HRS department that knows their job and does it well.

Hi! About two years ago when I was hired at my current job, there was a form that was given to me and my other new coworkers. It said something like, "now that you're hired, we would like you to tell us if you have these conditions" there were probably three, maybe four conditions, and yes, one of them was, PD. I sat there and struggled with what to do. Now I know there is alot of predjudice out there, and I knew I didn't have to tell them during the interview process about my illness. The other three conditions were rare ones, and PD. I wanted to be honest, and I didn't want to have to try to hide the symptoms, but I was really afraid of not having a job. so... I signed the form "no" At the bottom of the form it said, basically, you'd better be telling the truth, or else, and of course we'll make accomodations for any disability you have, so let us know. I found it infuriating that they didn't ask if I had something like, AIDS, or Cancer, or Heart disease, or really nothing that people commonly get. So today, I am still working, and just getting through one day at a time. I think my supervisor knows there is something wrong with me because I have had an episode or two with some tremors and slowness but I'm not telling until I have no choice, and can't do the job. It did help that I got an great job review so maybe this old girl can go a year or two longer. Thanks for posting the topic!

I ended up telling my employer after going through about a year of hell. My former manager bluntly asked me if I was on drugs because my work performance dropped off drastically. I was taking every Monday off, and calling in sick a lot. When he bluntly asked me if I was on drugs, I was infuriated and hurt. I then told him I was going for tests because of odd neurological problems. He left me alone after I got a doctor's note from my PCP.

Now that he's gone, I work for the general manager who is a lot more understanding. He remarked to me the other day that the Sinemet is making a big difference in my mobility. He noticed this right off, and can tell when I'm not feeling right.

So tell or not to tell? It depends upon the people that you have to deal with. In most cases the company can't fire you because of the disability laws. In the US the companies have to make accomadations for the employees, and allow the employee to work as long as they can.

Flordagal, The question on your application about these particular conditions may have had something to do with your health insurance. Some insurance companies won't cover pre-existing conditions. So in this case, you're probably right in not saying anything right away. If anything, I'd wait as along as I could before saying something to make sure you're covered by the insurance.

John