Telling Your Employer That You Have Social Anxiety Disorder

告诉你的雇主你很难过的秘诀

A diagnosis of social anxiety disorder can be shared with an employer.
只有在合理的情况下才能分享你的诊断。 盖蒂/英雄图片

告诉你的雇主你有社交焦虑症(SAD)是很困难的。如果你被诊断为SAD并接受了治疗,你需要决定是否告诉你的雇主(或潜在雇主)你的病情。

你可以选择披露或不披露,也可以选择何时披露。

Deciding on Disclosure

你可能会问,“我为什么要披露我的病情?”

Common Reasons for Disclosure

  • 不想“隐瞒”病情
  • 想让别人了解这种情况
  • 在工作中需要特殊的住宿

At the same time, there are barriers to disclosure, such as the stigma associated with having a mental health condition and potential discrimination by employers and coworkers.

Americans With Disabilities Act

任何有精神残疾的人都受到法律的保护美国残疾人法案(ADA).Anxiety disorders, and SAD in particular fall under this designation. Under the ADA, you are not required to disclose your psychiatric disability unless you wish to request accommodations in the workplace.

No Disclosure Required

出于同样的原因,并不是所有的潜在雇主owed to ask whether you have a disability during the hiring process. They may, however, make a job offer conditional on a medical examination. This medical examination must be required of all job candidates, not just those suspected of having a disability.

If your potential employer discovers a disability during the examination, he or she may inquire about the nature of the disability.

在这种情况下,最好准备好彻底解释这种紊乱,并详细说明你拥有的技能和能力,使你能够满足工作要求。

Timing of Disclosure

《美国残疾人法案》规定,雇员可以在任何时候披露自己的状况:

  • 申请前
  • 在面试期间
  • After a job offer
  • 开始工作后的任何时候

你披露的理由可能会决定你何时决定披露,以及向谁披露。如果你决定披露,那么了解以下几点很重要:

  • 工作需要什么
  • 如何满足这些要求
  • What accommodations you might need

Requesting Accommodations

If you need special accommodations during the hiring process, you may choose to speak with human resources at that time.

If you require accommodations once on the job, including telecommuting, flexible hours, or changes to elements of the working environment, it might be more appropriate to discuss these accommodations directly with your supervisor.

尽量不要等到告诉你的雇主你的悲伤,直到为时已晚,你的工作受到影响。尽早真诚地披露你的社交焦虑症,更有可能得到积极的回应。

When deciding whether or not to disclose, you will also want to consider how much detail you wish to provide. SAD is a relatively poorly understood diagnosis, and many employers may not be familiar with the disorder.

If your goal is for your employer and coworkers to have a better understanding of the symptoms that you experience, you may wish to describe SAD and the limitations that it may place on you at work.

在SAD的情况下这样做可能特别有用,因为人们可能会认为你的焦虑是冷漠或不愿意成为一个团队成员。

计划说什么

提前计划好你要说的话也会有帮助。下面是一个悲伤的人可能会对雇主说什么的例子。

示例语句

“I’d like to tell you about a condition that I have called social anxiety disorder. I have received treatment for SAD, and I’m in recovery. But, I may have anxiety in during performance and social situations. I will have physical symptoms, such as shaking hands or sweating, during these anxiety attacks. Here is the number of my therapist who can provide any information that you might need about my ability to handle the job.”

注意:如果你想让你的治疗师和你的雇主谈谈,你需要签署一份详细的健康保险便携性和责任法案(HIPAA)的发布。

根据你的情况,你可能还会提到一些有助于你在工作中表现更好的具体措施。

对于那些悲伤的人,这些可能包括

  • 写报告而不是在一群人面前陈述
  • 通过电子邮件而不是面对面交流
  • 拥有私人工作空间

Ideally, during and after treatment, you should try not to avoid doing these sorts of activities. However, during times of stress or if symptoms reoccur, it is important to have options that allow you to meet your obligations at work. Employers are obliged to grant requests for accommodations unless they can show that it would place undue hardship on them.

How Much to Tell?

最后,只有你才能决定是否披露你的病情。如果你在找工作,那就值得研究一下哪些公司以接纳残疾人而闻名。

If you decide against disclosure, make sure that you have other support in place to help you cope. Most of all, arm yourself with knowledge both about SAD and about your rights in the workplace. Doing so will make it easier for you to cope with SAD while at work.

了解whether having anxiety disorder may qualify you for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

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