ADVICE FOR PRE EMPLOYMENT MEDICAL ASSESSMENTS

[Chumptastic]

WARNING: DONT EVER ADMIT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION IN A PRE-EMPLOYMENT MEDICAL ASSESSMENT, LIE INSTEAD

I was interviewed for a job at a local council & had progressed to the next stage, a pre employment medical. I naively thought it would be standard fitness for work & that the potential employer would only get a pass/fail thing or baseline information. However I had to fill out a copious questionnaire asking a number of questions totally irrelevant to the job I was applying for. I also had to get a drug screen so I had to list all my meds, some of which are not the usually SSRI for my depression. After id filled it out They told me to sign a paper so that they could send ALL my medical history to HR at council. I was very concerned about privacy so I called the HR officer who was dealing with my application to voice my concerns. Long story short even thought I was deeply concerned I felt I had no choice but to go through with it because I hadn’t received an offer. Anyway the Dr asked a whole bunch of very intrusive questions about whether I’d been hospitalised (yes) whether I had bi-polar (no) why I was on each specific drug, whether work had ever exacerbated my depression (no, but not working does) etc etc. Then I met with my potential bosses for a coffee which went really well, had a great conversation about the role. I asked if there were other candidates who had progressed through to this stage & they said no, I was at the top of the list and they weren’t talking to anyone else. That reassured me that all but got the job. So I turned down another job offer. After a week of hearing nothing I emailed the HR officer who eventually got back to me to say I was unsuccessful. I asked why & she said they had a number of candidates and that someone with more qualifications and experience (I have a PhD & 15 years exp but ok) had been successful. Yeah right. Makes total sense. So a warning for those who are applying for jobs: make sure your meds won’t be picked up in any drug screen & keep quiet about your meds & mental health condition. All this de-stigmatising of mental health in the workplace is just utter bullshit.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Chumptastic,

Thank you for your post. I'm sorry that you didn't get the job- although it sounds like that employer and workplace isn't a place that you would want to work for.

I'm really concerned about the amount of questions that they asked you- while I have heard of pre-employment medical's I've never heard of anything so interrogative. From what I understand, they are permitted to ask you a certain number of questions as part of their duty of care, but the things you were asked to disclose is beyond fair. Particularly for a council job, where I'm struggling to see the risk from their end in terms of capacity to work safely.

If you are up for it, I really encourage you to look into your rights - whether that's because you felt discriminated against in your application and looking at being employed by that company or making sure that this doesn't happen to anyone else applying for a job there. https://www.fairwork.gov.au/

rt

[Chumptastic]

Hi RT,

Thanks for your reply. Yes the questions were totally inappropriate. I felt humiliated. I’ve spoken with the NSW anti discrimination board who’ve encouraged me to lodge a complaint. They said what they did is illegal under the anti discrimination act. So I’ll go that way first. But yes fair work will be my next avenue. Meanwhile I’m applying for all the jobs I can. I find it disheartening when you do all you can to get better, including taking meds prescribed by a psychiatrist & trying getting a job but your mental illness stops you. Catch 22.

[AffectsEveryoneDifferently]

Unfortunately you have to keep it to yourself, always.  I told HR I was having a lot of stress because my computer network only functioned some of the time and I had to do  15 to 17 hours overtime a week JUST because of IT issues and it was impacting home life. 

As soon as said the word "stress," I knew had lost my job. She stared at me in open mouth shock.

She immediately got formal and started writing down what I was saying , and asked " on a scale of 1 to ten, how much do you think these personal issues your having are impacting on your ability to do your job?"  She got so out of order , one minute thru can't organised a working computer then next minute they are a psychiatrist ( in their own mind)

Unfortunately the HR department took more action than IT department,  I was gone within days.

[quirkywords]

Chumptastic and AffecrsEveryone Differently, 

I am so sorry to read if your experiences,

. I know people who have supported experiences with employers but there is still way to educating the work place.