To disclose or not? Is that the question?

" Why didn't they tell me?"

" What are they trying to hide?"

" If I had known about their real support needs..."

I have heard all these phrases spoken.

Generally, an employer does not have the right to know a person’s confidential medical information, such as the cause of the disability, diagnosis, symptoms, or treatment, unless these clearly relate to the 'reasonable adjustments' being sought.

Post Covid-19 - how confident do you think people will feel disclosing a disability or support need at this time? The Disability Employment gap has remained wide. Many people will want to stay under the radar even more so now. But what is the psychological consequence for that person in doing so?

Wherever possible, an employer should try to make anticipatory efforts to provide the support without requiring a person to disclose a diagnosis, or otherwise provide medical information that is not absolutely necessary.

This brings me to the term disclosure.

We talk about 'disclosure' in the workplace expecting a person to tell others of their support needs in a way the line manager/HR understands. I sometimes hear words of frustration from line managers when someone has seemingly 'withheld information'. However, there are many reasons why someone lacks confidence or has the words to describe the challenges they may have.

No-one should ever feel under pressure to do so.

The report from The Westminster AchieveAbility Commission for Dyslexia and Neurodivergence "Neurodiverse voices: Opening Doors to Employment" showed some of the consequences and experiences of disclosure for some neurodivergent people.

Ref: https://www.achieveability.org.uk/main/policy/wac-report-is-released-and-presentation-at-bda-conference-2018

I really wonder about the term we are using. Is disclosure really the right term to use? 

Does everyone know what specific support they need in a new work setting where they may not know the full job spec at the start or have experience of that work setting? Most people have not had training in disclosure.

The reality is that at the start of any new job, most of us want to portray ourselves as being able to do the job competently and anything that may reduce confidence in line managers about your abilities would be difficult for most of us to share.

To disclose means revealing or exposing information that has previously been kept a secret.

Other synonyms: divulge, declare, expose and confess. The latter word is powerful as it implies secrecy and something that is wrong/bad/causing shame..

When you start to see these words, it is no wonder that some people feel wary of asking for support.

• What does it really mean for someone to disclose? Does it cause raised anxiety? Do you feel shame? For some people, it may recall difficult times in school when the person may have been bullied because of being 'other'.
• Does disclosure of your disability mean you get more support or less? Do you actually feel disabled or is the organisation disabling you? On revealing, do others change the way they act towards you?
• Is there a risk of discrimination if you do disclose? Von Schrader et al(2014) discuss these risks.You may be concerned about what you say and the impact that has on how others view you. The wrong response from the other person can knock you back completely.
• Perhaps we don't always feel sure about the right words to use and how they may be interpreted.
• Do you know what to say if you have not only one diagnosis but several such as ADHD, DCD, AND Dyslexia - which one of these do you disclose? All, some or none? Is keeping information back lying or presenting yourself in a way that provides support?
• Is there a chance of there being unconscious or conscious bias in the person you are telling? Are some diagnosis 'better' than others reveal? This may be related to the other person's knowledge.
• When is the right time to reveal all or some? If you don't do so on the application form, should you do so at the interview? If you haven't then - then when? The reality is that this can vary from person to person.
• How much do you share and can you 'overshare' and provide too much information about yourself and then can't back peddle if you want to.. as too much has been revealed?

Inclusive settings encourage positive dialogue

There is good evidence that employees who perceive that their workplace is inclusive feel greater levels of psychological empowerment on the job and higher levels of organizational support. It is thought that when employees feel comfortable self-disclosing, this can serve as an informal indicator of the employer’s success in achieving a supportive workplace culture. I think we need to be cautious measuring our success as an employer on the number of people saying they have X or Y. Maybe it is better to measure the number of people seeking support and what the pattern of that support is so we can develop more inclusive practice.

Some people do not disclose their 'disability' because they do not see Dyslexia or Autism as a disability for example. Others don't tell because of concern that it could result in "lowered expectations, lack of respect, isolation from co-workers, a decrease in job responsibility, being passed over for promotion, or increased likelihood of termination"

(See references in Von Schrader paper for Brohan et al. 2012; Dalgin and Bellini 2008; Dalgin and Gilbride 2003; Madaus et al. 2002). 

Some may not disclose simply because they feel that their disability is irrelevant to job performance and so there is no reason to do so at all.

An alternative means of measuring employee engagement could be using anonymised surveys and asking questions such as:

'Do you require some support but need help and guidance for this workplace setting?'

' Do you know whom to talk to if you require support?"

What do you think?

Maybe we need to talk together, share ideas, and not wait for a BIG reveal? We can never be specialists of 1000s' of medical conditions but as line managers or those working in HR in a specific work setting, we can problem solve and consider the adjustments to put in place.

Neurodiversity Workplace Do-IT Profiler

https://www.doitprofiler.com/sectors/do-it-in-employment-2/hr/ provides a means for an individual to gain first-line support for a workplace context and delivers suggestions to discuss with the line manager which are person-centered rather than label-led.

We are also delivering an innovative OCN accredited course with Right Resources. The next course is coming up on September 15th and 16th, 2020

https://doitprofiler.com/consultancy-and-training/training/

Also, see https://neurodiversityemployment.org.uk/

Ref:

Von Schrader, Sarah ; Malzer, Valerie ; Bruyère, SusannePerspectives on Disability Disclosure: The Importance of Employer Practices and Workplace Climate Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 2014, Vol.26(4), pp.237-255