interviewing for a new job - should I tell them??

[gecko1977a]

If you remember a few months back the place i work for was trying to fire me for poor performance (likely a result of the untreated apnea); well I do think that the damage to my productivity results had been done already (it takes months to build up your results), and I do believe that within the next several days, I will be let go.


The great news is that I have an interview for a communication company, and it is 20 miles LESS of a commute and a few dollars more per hour than what I am making now.

My question is: Should I tell this new employer about my sleep apnea?

If they should ask if/what reasonable accomidation I would need to do the job, what should I say

I don't want to hamper my chances of getting this job, but I don't feel right getting the job and then popping this up on them.

[preemiern]

If you are undergoing therapy for your apnea with satisfactory results, then they really don't need to know at this point. I would wait and see after you get the position if there is a need to tell them...I don't believe they can ask you in the interview if you have any debilitating conditions, and if you are undergoing satisfactory treatment and are feeling better-then it is no longer debilitating. just my 2 cents worth...
Cindy

[Wulfman]

How's your therapy going? Have you had any problems lately with "job performance"? Any daytime sleepiness?

I wouldn't tell them about it......

Good luck,

Den

[rested gal]

My question is: Should I tell this new employer about my sleep apnea?

If they don't ask what medical conditions you have, I wouldn't just volunteer that...no.

I don't want to hamper my chances of getting this job, but I don't feel right getting the job and then popping this up on them.

That's very admirable of you, but I think it likely could hamper your chances of getting the job. Sleep Apnea is still very misunderstood. You are treating it, so I see no reason to bring it up unless asked about your medical conditions.

[gecko1977a]

yes i still do have daytime sleepyness.... though i think much of it is due to several factors.

change in routine - my mom works overnights and i have to take her to work, so sometimes i take a nap after dinner for 2 hours and then get back up at 11 pm to take her, then have to come home, and convince myself to go back to sleep

staying up too late - i have a bad habit of staying up way too late. The alarm rings at 530AM (and the snooze gets hit a few times)

STRESS - yes it is a little stressful worrying about if i am going to have a job, insurance, $$$, and other things

I must say, you all don't waste time replying, I posted this and left panera bread and found another wifi hotspot and had 3 replies already

[cpapjack]

What they don't know won't hurt them.

[krousseau]

If your therapy is going well and you are seriously willing to change the habits you think cause the residual daytime sleepiness-do not bring up the topic. It is unlikely they will see it as falling under the ADA. They won't hire you and they don't have to give a reason and any recourse you try to seek will be expensive, drawn out, and probably futile.
You'll be driving less, fix the things that cause daytime sleepiness, and at the first signs of problems at work come back here and get advice about how to proceed. Mother may have to arrange other transportation-if that is a problem PM me-I'm a Mother.

If you aren't willing to change-don't test the sympathy of a potential employer.

Sounds like CPAP is not an issue in your sleep-more like lifestyle-you are in control of that. Get William Dement's book "The Promise of Sleep" and follow his directions for sleep boot camp. Will you get a long enough lunch break to take a 15-20 min nap (maybe by combining lunch and a break)? William Dement suggests a good cup of coffee followed immediately by a nap-with an alarm. When your timer goes off the caffeine is starting to kick in. Make sure you take a lunch-you won't have time for cafeteria lines or restaurants. If you don't have a space/office at work-how about your car? And always stick to your allowed time.

Good luck....Kay

[krousseau]

On the other hand:
Is OSA covered by the ADA-if it is and an accomodation could be the "power nap" mentioned before-then you do have some backup. They are going to call you former employer. It will be an unofficial phone call without any documentation and you won't know what is said. So if you are upfront about it-you answer the questions about being let go frankly-you know the drill. You are now being treated yada-yada-and ready to go. And be ready to go-change the things that are still interfering with adequate sleep.

I may be naive-I don't really know too much about the ADA or employer HR practices-someone here will be able to give more info.

[linda b]

My response to your question would be "It depends." It depends on how much information you think your current employer would give the potential new employer. It is very common for a prospective employer to call the current or most recent employer for a reference. Some companies only give the "name, rank, and serial number" routine, but others can be more talkative. If your current company is letting you go because of under-performance and they know about the sleep apnea, they could reveal this to the prospective employer. Do you want them to be the ones to reveal that?

If you know your present company will only disclose stuff like dates of employment, position, salary, that kind of info, then I agree with others about not telling, at least until you are secure in the new job. And I agree that you need to do everything you can possibly do to improve the other factors affecting your sleep patterns.

Good luck.

[jnickellrental]

As a company owner myself I would be surprised if anyone told me. I am worried about how they are going to perform and not to sound incensitive I dont care what is wrong with them if it doesnt affect their job. If you are afraid that your job will suffer until the apnea is worked out I might mention it, but if you can fight through until the therapy works dont say a thing.
Josh

[snoregirl]

I wouldn't tell them if it were me.

I had a situation years ago when I was applying for a sitdown typing job with the US postal service when I got bored after stayinig home with my kids for years and I made the mistake of telling them that I had injured my back some years back.

They didn't want me just because of this. I persisted and went and got doctor's statements that I could sit and type and it wouldn't make my back worse......and they took me, but it was a struggle. I sort of wanted the job before that then with their actions I really wanted the job.

If the Federal gov't won't hire you for a sit down keyboarding job due to an old back injury, who the heck will hire you?

The back issues didn't keep me from typing. I could do that whether my back hurt or not.

My opinion is you don't have a condition since it is being successfully treated so you need not mention it.

I think most employers don't make that many calls to previous employers nor to some employers like to give info as it can put them in legal trouble due to privacy issues.

I used to work for a large computer company long before the kids and their response to a call was "yes she worked here from 19xx to 20xx".


I wouldn't go out of my way to tell them, but I wouldn't lie either if confronted with my release from the other job. Another approach if asked is "I was having some health issues that are now resolved". I can have my doctor write a letter if you like that I am healthy.

My personal opinion only.

[hornplayer]

Gecko:
I think your experience dealing with OSA and CPAP will make you a great employee. You recognized that you had a performance problem at work. You identified the problem.(OSA) And, you are actively working on a solution to the problem.(CPAP) Many people out there without any physical problems still sleep-walk through their careers. You are taking positive steps toward making yourself a healthier and more productive employee.

Take this to your job interview and ace it! Don't tell them about your OSA.
There is no need to.

[kteague]

Not only would I not mention it if they didn't ask, I still wouldn't directly say it even if they did ask during the interview process. Unless something has changed, in my last two jobs it was strictly forbidden to ask specific health questions during the interview. You may want to check the law on that. You have no obligation to answer a question that shouldn't have been asked. What had you planned on telling them was the reason you left the other job? There are benign ways to phrase things, such as: "I'm excited about the prospect of a signficantly shorter commute and other schedule changes that will be conducive to your satisfaction and my success in this position."
But as a matter of integrity, you owe it to them to really believe you can do the job. That may mean wake-up meds. Anyhow, keep us posted (pun intended).
Kathy

[tlc95066]

Legally, the only quesiton that they can ask you is if you able to perform the essential job duties of the position. You may only be able to answer this question if they provide you with a job description.

If you answer the question as NO then they may be able to ask about what accomodations you might need. If the request is reasonable, then they may be able to accomodate you.

If the answer is YES, then they really don't have the right to pry.

I the position requires a physical, the information may come via the report to the company.

Best,
Teri

[OwlCreekObserver]

These are all good comments, and the consensus seems to be that it's best to never reveal what you're being treated for.

However, here's another point of view. If you have the daytime sleepiness under control (including skipping Letterman), would it not be better to grab the initiative during your interview by saying something like,

• "I was diagnosed with sleep apnea a few months ago. The condition makes it impossible to ever get a good night's sleep, meaning that I was constantly exhausted. I even dozed off at work on occasion. However the condition, once diagnosed, is very treatable. I now get plenty of good sleep every night and it has really changed my life for the better."

By being up-front with them, you not only head off any uninformed opinions they might have if they happen to hear about it from someone else, but you would have also explained your less than stellar performance at your previous job.

Just another opinion -- not necessarily the best one.

OCO