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

[Guest]

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

Do you want this job? If you do, then don't tell them.

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

Do you think you need special accommodations because of your apnea? Like what?

I sure wouldn't hire someone who is, in effect, letting me know in advance their performance might be substandard-- no matter what their reason might be. I get the feeling you want to tell them about your sleep apnea because you think it might be considered a valid excuse and they won't be able to fire you in the event you run in to the same problems as you did at the job you're being fired from. No employer is going to say, "Because you have sleep apnea, we'll make exceptions for you and you won't have to operate by the same standards as the other employees. You won't have to be worry about being on time, staying awake and meeting the minimum requirements."

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.

There's no reason you would ever need to pop this up on them. It's none of their business.

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)

Make up your mind to stop staying up so late. In your posts in previous threads you mentioned you "called in 'runnin late' lots of times," fell asleep at your desk and could not meet the minimum performance requirements. You can't blame that on sleep apnea if you're choosing to stay up too late.

Make up your mind to get up when the alarm goes off. Put your alarm clock across the room at the loudest possible setting so it can't be ignored and you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Don't get back into bed. In previous threads you also mentioned you "blacked out" the windows in your bedroom. You might want to consider removing that.

I think concentrating your efforts on getting to bed on time and getting up on time would go a long way towards becoming a valued and productive employee. It takes discipline, but once you've developed the routine, you won't be so tired. You will reap the benefits and so would your employer.

Good luck.

[Offerocker]

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

Is it feasible for either you or your mother to either Carpool, take a taxi or bus to work? Her safety needs to come first in that decision, since she leaves home around 11:00 p.m.

You are not following good sleep 'hygeine', (as they call it) patterns.
You must change this if you expect to be successful at your next job, else NOTHING will have changed, except your employer.

You must have maximum number of hours of continual sleep in order for your body to benefit. You'll probably need more in the beginning.
I cannot 'power nap' - my naps are minimum of 2 hours, and I bet yours would be also at this point. Exercise and walking to keep awake would do your body more good right now.

Taking a nap on company property, even if "your own time" will come back to bite you. Someone will see you, and it may be the wrong person. Also, things get blown out of proportion. It is time-robbing. Jumping Jacks will benefit you more in this situation.

You must change your nighly routine, and that includes not interrupting your bed time with taking your mother to work, as thoughtful and necessary as that is. It is placing you in your current vicious cycle. Talk to her about this problem, and see what kind of input she has; maybe there's another solution, if the bus/taxi/carpooling is impossible.
It must be impossible, not merely inconvenient.

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)

Unfortunately, I can relate to that problem. And it seems that we just don't learn either. Again, need to set your priorities. Do it on Friday nights only.
Do you have Attention Deficit disorder? What you're doing is one of the signs.

In short, you need a job. To keep it, you need to get as much uninterrupted sleep as possible. Talk over remedies with your mother.
Get started on a 'new you' as soon as you can - old habits are hard to break.

About the interview: A safe statement to make would be: "I'm looking forward to a working in stimulating environment as you seem to be offering here. I'm looking forward to working with you and ........

Hopefully the 'stimulating environment words will stick in his mind in the event that he does call your previous employer, and if he learns of your poor performance there.

Again, are you 'compliant'?
You may be, with the cpap equipment, but NOT with your SLEEP!
You have invested much time, effort, and money to treat your sleep apnea.
Now, you need to do the same again, to change your habits.
Good luck. Try your best, please - you have many years ahead of you to be employed - you may as well be a GOOD employee - and a HAPPY one.

Who knows, THIS job may be the best one you've had, and you don't want to blow it.

Good luck, and stick with it.

[Snoozin' Bluezzz]

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.

No way, not up front, never up front! They are looking for reasons to say no to folks unless you really are the one they want. Get an offer and then consider what you think is right.

If you are not comitted to doing the job and you don't think you can then don't go on the interview.

If you go on the interview and acquit yourself well, ask all the right questions about job expectations and are honest, with yourself, about your ability to meet those expectation and get an offer then say "Yes I can" and say "yes I take the job." If you can not say this honestly then say you can not accept in good faith because you have this health problem and the expectations may be very difficult ot make but if they can work with you on it then you would be happy to accept the offer.

Don't give them a reason to reject you - do everything you need to do to get to the offer stage and then ask yourself honestly if you can accept under the given terms. Don't sink your own boat. Not a good idea. I was unemployed for a very long time with good qualifications and realized that I really need to put the best face forward at all times. I finally suceeded, without misleading anyone. If they do the interview legally then they should not ask the question that would put you in the dilemma of answering less than truthfully. If you can do the job say you can do the job and then do what is necessary in your own life to live up to that committmen.

Good Luck

David

[wabmorgan]

He will still be TIRED if he is still suffering from Sleep Apnea!!!!!!! And from his previous post.... it sounds like he is.

Getting into a sleep retouine will help, but sounds like he may have insombia as well. Have you talked to your dr about insombia????

YOu need to get the sleep apnea and insombia under control. I know... easier said than done.

LAstly....

You state that you feel you are about to be fired from your current job...

The new job is closer to home and for more money....

WHy are you asking..... I would take the new position. The reduced drive time should help with attendance and save $$$ on gas. Not to mention be better for you and the motoring public.(The shorter the drive the less likely you are to fall alseep at the wheel.)

And no I wouldn't tell the new employer about the sleep apnea. Btw, if you think there will be probelms with the new employer... you might seek out a differant job that would better fit your sleep schedule.

Some employers do look at things differantly.... so it may help if they can make an accomdation for you... like working second or third shift or something.

Last but not least.... in any employment... it really boils down to how much does the employer really want you there!!!!!!!!! How valueable are you to them???

[wabmorgan]

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.

I doubt this very highly. They may call but most employers will NOT release any information about their current or ex employees other than date of hire, position held, and date of termination of employment.

The reason that they don't release information is that in doing so they could prevent the employee from gainfully obtaining employment and thereby opening themselves up to being sued. There have been suits filed upon this basis and that is why the companies don't release information.

They certainly are not going to release any negative information.

Knowing this, some won't even call at all.

[gecko1977a]

Hello friends....... I was chatting with Rested Gal this afternoon shortly after i posted my last reply...... at that time my interview (over the phone) was at 4:30 EST.... I hadn't known if they would call me or I was to call them, so I replied to the e-mail i had gotten from the person there......

She e-mailed back and asked if i was available at 4:00 - replied "Certainly!!" Did the interview over my cell phone (I am a customer of my new potential employer)

I have an appointment for a skills test (to see if i can type and handle the calls) on wednesday (wish me luck)

Me being able to be flexible with the interview times and the subsequent testing looked good. The only question of accomidation was about the skills test (like if i needed anything special on the computer)

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

I told them that it was a shorter commute for me, and a change in job duties (from collections to customer service) I did not have to lie, as I technically am still employed there until they do terminate me. I have been "fired" before. (I was not told why i was let go until they had filed for appeal for my unemployment, and i won the appeal process)

If my current employer lets me go, I can always say that they found out that i was seeking other employment and did not like it. Honestly with that it would be their word against mine.

[gecko1977a]

Yes it is 11:15 here.... No, i don't have to work tomorrow.....

I tell ya I just am not tired. I got up at somewhere around 5:45 am (I always wake up and hit the snooze-as insurance incase i doze off.... think about the day ahead of me, run through my plans for the entire day and then get out of bed) I get ready for work, get my mom from work and drop her at the house (it is less than a mile to her work), then start my drive for 1h 15m... I arrive by 8:53am I was getting drowsy by about 8:30-9:00 tonight, when we got done with eating out (not fast food). I ran mom to work, then ran to wal-mart and here it is 11:15pm..... and i am wide awake!!!!

There are some times that I am just not tired.

I am told that this new job will not be a morning shift like I have had (which might be better for me). My first call center job i worked 3:30 to midnight, some days going in as early at noon to midnight (training)

Maybe I am just not a morning person, I honestly some days don't feel i fundtion 110% till 10 am or later.

I think most of my problems stem from boredom.... Most of the time if i get up from my seat, take a walk to the bathroom and back I am rejuvinated.

3 years ago I could work an 8 hour shit from 8:00 to 5:00, drive 45 minutes home, loan my van (if it was not loaded) with DJ gear and then drive to the other side of my small town, setup and DJ till 3 am, then go home, sleep, and be up at 6 am and off to work again for 8 hours, and then home and back to the bar to tear down...... What happened to those days?

-------------------

OK, I am yawning now, to that is the notice hereby that it is bedtime, I shall not ignore it.

[Guest]

They certainly are not going to release any negative information.

Wabmorgan,
It happens all the time. Having contacted dozens of different companies when screening future employees, it is my experience many past employers are more than willing to share information -especially negative information about their former employees. Should they be releasing such information? No. But I'm glad they do it. The same goes for information obtained from references supplied by the prospective employee. Many of these references will tell you exactly why their friend or professional associate is no longer with their company, how their attendance was, how their performance was, how many times they've bene fired, etc. The more information you can learn about a potential employee, the better. It can save a lot of headaches.

There's nothing worse than getting stuck with a lousy new hire. The money lost with all the training and then the time and documentation it takes to get rid of them is staggering. Many of these people are experts at working the system, take no responsibility for their poor performance, blame every thing and everybody else for their predicament and will hang on where they are unwanted despite the fact they know they are not meeting the requirements of the job. They exhibit no sense of pride or dignity, but, rather, a perverse sense of entitlement. They feel no guilt about the burden they put on their fellow employees, are unfazed by how poorly they do their job, are the first to scream "discrimination" for one reason or another and then look forward to receiving unemployment compensation between gigs. I wish I could say this is a rare occurence in the workforce today, but it isn't.

Krousseau is right. Calls are made and without any documentation of these comments made off the record, you'll never know what was said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

gecko1977a,
Good for you! Best of luck with your skills test and congratulations on starting a new chapter in your life. Onward and upward!

[wabmorgan]

Guest,
I knew someone would post something like that. And I'm not saying it doesn't happen... but it not suppose to...

Most large corporations will not release any data other than date of hire, position held and termination date. That is corporate policy at most major corporations. Suits have been filed by employees (current or ex) for an employer for preventing the employee from gainfully obtaining employment.

Believe me, no company is going to risk being sued this is why they have such a policy. If the employer releases any other data they are opening themselves to such a suit. By not releasing, there is no risk to the employer.

If your company has such a policy, and they most likely do, and you release such information you can be terminated from employment for not following policy.

As for "It can save a lot of headaches".... Like it or not, we live in a country where what you don't say is safer than what you do say. It is not the job or role of one corporation to weed out the bad eggs of another. Just because the employee didn't work out for your corporation doesn't mean he won't work out well for another employer.

Additionally, there are other key signs of a bad employee. Have they had a lot of jobs changes? If so, there is probably a sign of someone you don't want right there.

[krousseau]

Wabmorgan-I agree with your post. It isn't supposed to happen. What comes from the official sources is just date of hire-resignation date salary. Worthless. And new employers still ask for references. And some unthinking employees still ask for references from people who were counseling them for unsatisfactory job performance.
That is why undocumented phone calls are made. Interviews by "committee" were always notorius because someone always had a "friend" over at the old company to call and get the "real" scoop on a potential employee. Unfair to the job seeker-because they can't find out why they were not hired-probably not really-they knew if they were not good in the job. Sometimes they have to take a lesser job and get back on track in their lives-build up some good references. Sometimes they take stock of things , make changes and go on to better jobs and succeed. Someone said "Getting fired is a sign from the Universe that you were in the wrong job." What was the Peter Principle, "You rise to the level of your incompetence." Failure can have good outcomes.
Frequent job changes are not uncommon in some areas, esp in the era of .coms which start-up and flourish, or flicker and die. The .coms often hire people who are expert at start-ups who will go to another company when they are no longer seen as needed.

[dllfo]

OCO is dead on.

You admit your performance was lacking. You are not being let go because of your bad breath, so be up front. Turn a negative into a positive and tell them how YOU figured it out, YOU took action, the employer did not have to, and YOU are on top of it.

I cannot believe the unofficial version won't get there ahead of you.

OR the infamous: "Hi Mr. Jones, I am considering Mr. Smith for a position in our widget department, may I ask you how his performance was?"
Reply: "Sorry sir, our legal department says I am not allowed to comment."

I have found honesty and integrity are highly sought after commodities.

Also, I don't know the legal answer to this one, if you omit info about your physical condition, THAT could be terms for termination...no??

You might invest in two more alarm clocks with sounds so obnoxious you cannot stand them..put one in your bath room and one across the room.
Then you cannot hit that stupid snooze alarm and stop it.

Your XPAP is a positive because YOU took the inititive to solve it. The only negative I can see there is if the treatment cost your old company a fortune.
No one wants to hire a "medical project in the works." Right or wrong, that seems to be the way it is. Best wishes......

[wabmorgan]

I am not saying it doesn't happen. In fact, I had a co-worker a few years ago that was giving out employment history and I had her put the phone call on hold and explained to her that we do NOT give out employment information and any information given out is only done so by the corporate office and that they only provide date of hire, position held, and termination date. We also do not contact current employers for reference. We do not want to jepodize their current employment should we chose not to hire and have a similar issue in that regard.

Unfortunately, most companies have adopted this type of policy just to avoid being in court.

If your company is providing any information beyond date of hire, position held, and termination date they are opening themselves to litigation.

Undocumented or not won't matter in court. All they need is someone to testify.

[krousseau]

Fortunately I've retired and don't have to deal with the politics, ins & outs of the employer/employee relationships, and the legal system.

[Offerocker]

Gecko1997A:

You have me wondering ... again...WHAT are YOU doing/willing to do in order to change your lifestyle in order to make this next job a succes?

THAT is the bottom line, not so much whether or not employers provide pertinant info. Regardless of what THEY do, YOU must change your habits in order not to repeat problems at previous employments.

So, tell what YOU have done for yourself.

I have to pursue this line of communication with you because I think it is the answer to your 'problem', as it is with everyone. We must take control of our own destiny. You know what your faults are, which affords you the opportunity to correct them. It's a good idea to do it now, before you have too much 'history' of short employments, or negative reports. That is, if you really want to be employed and stay employed.

[krousseau]

I tell ya I just am not tired. I got up at somewhere around 5:45 am (I always wake up and hit the snooze-as insurance incase i doze off.... think about the day ahead of me, run through my plans for the entire day and then get out of bed) I get ready for work, get my mom from work and drop her at the house (it is less than a mile to her work), then start my drive for 1h 15m... I arrive by 8:53am I was getting drowsy by about 8:30-9:00 tonight, when we got done with eating out (not fast food). I ran mom to work, then ran to wal-mart and here it is 11:15pm..... and i am wide awake!!!!

Lifestyle gecko-lifestyle...and it interferes with your sleep-when you are running and hyped up of course you are awake. Hitting the snooze button & cutting time close does get the adrenalin going, and theres an edge to your posts that makes me a suspect that sliding into work a few minutes late makes you feel a little like sliding into home base. Slowing down in the evening earlier than 11:15 PM gets you ready to go to bed and sleep. Read a few pages of the book.

What happened to 3 years ago-you got OSA, you use a XPAP, and you haven't made the life style changes. When things slow down-the adrenalin lowers and there is nothing to replace it. Like adequate rest. Boredom?? That may be a sign you are not in the right job. I wish you well in your new job.