Employment 'Advisor' Advice

Hello. I thought I'd post this experience here to see what a wider audience made of it - moreso, a wider relevant audience.

This week I met with an employment advisor, the referral to whom was the final hurrah of a discontinued counsellor last year. I did meet her last year and she was moderately helpful, thus when I fell into an employment rut, I sought out her advice once again.

In the meantime, this diagnosis bombshell landed, so... I took this news with me, to see what advice she could give about how to use it going forward.

Her advice was basically not to mention it on applications forms, or at interview, so as to avoid being dismissed for the position out-of-hand. Whilst this initially made sense to me, she then went on to suggest I only mention it if and when they offered me employment, as they are then legally required to make "reasonable adjustments" and if they then withdrew the offer of employment, I would have a case for a tribunal.

This was all a lot of information to take in and, upon reflection, seems a cynical and downright deceitful approach. Surely the employer would simply accuse me of misleading them from the very beginning and then I would be the one in the wrong? In which case, why are they not then entitled to retract that job offer, when I applied almost under false pretences, as it were? Or is her assertion that their legal obligation really is that forceful that they must then still employ me?

It's all very confusing, and I don't know what to try for the best! I feel I might as well just stay in the job I've got, however unsuitable it may be!

Parents
  • I would always come down on the side of not informing... after all, it is personal health information.

    This is probably me just being Aspie, but...  If, on whatever forms you fill in or questions they put to you, they do not ask you if you have Autistic Spectrum Condition, can you then ever be regarded as having done something wrong by not telling them?

    I can't help feeling that telling a prospective employer before an interview, that you have ASC, would most likely prejudice your chances... whatever your rights are on paper. In the wider world people tend not to have any real knowledge or understanding of Autism, and many will avoid what they do not understand.

    Plunging into a tribunal before you have even started would be 'making a point', but how comfortable would you feel working in a company you had faced in an adversarial position right at the beginning of your employment.
    A tribunal would also be extremely stressful for an Aspie... a point obviously not understood by your employment advisor. 

Reply
  • I would always come down on the side of not informing... after all, it is personal health information.

    This is probably me just being Aspie, but...  If, on whatever forms you fill in or questions they put to you, they do not ask you if you have Autistic Spectrum Condition, can you then ever be regarded as having done something wrong by not telling them?

    I can't help feeling that telling a prospective employer before an interview, that you have ASC, would most likely prejudice your chances... whatever your rights are on paper. In the wider world people tend not to have any real knowledge or understanding of Autism, and many will avoid what they do not understand.

    Plunging into a tribunal before you have even started would be 'making a point', but how comfortable would you feel working in a company you had faced in an adversarial position right at the beginning of your employment.
    A tribunal would also be extremely stressful for an Aspie... a point obviously not understood by your employment advisor. 

Children
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