Most likely, you have already disclosed your MS diagnosis to some or all of your family members and friends. Although it might have been difficult, you know these people and trust that they care for you.
Confronting disclosure at work is something entirely different. Your livelihood and career are at stake. What effect could disclosure have? Your questions and concerns might include:
- Should I tell my employer?
- If I tell my employer, when do I tell?
- Whom do I tell – my human resources department, my supervisor, my co-workers, or all of the above?
- When should I disclose this information? Should I disclose when I am initially diagnosed or when my symptoms are obvious?
- How do I explain to my employer that I could miss time from work due to an exacerbation?
- What exactly should I tell my employer?
- I’ve already disclosed to my employer; how do I manage the information from now on?
Remember that disclosure is a highly personal decision. You will want to control and guard information about your MS on the job as closely as you guard your Social Security number. If you do decide to disclose, the National MS Society has many resources to assist you.
- I would like to contact an employment expert at my chapter.
- I am interested in learning more about employment programs available to me.
- I would like to learn more about disclosure in the workplace (.pdf)