Here’s the link to learn more about Land Your Dream Job Accelerator, and to register:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Dy066dj7gm5chND-FfIcd-vZNeS0y4Tdbbf6Jr_oP8/edit#heading=h.9en890oi4qsu

We will be tackling this issue on two fronts: how to take care of yourself during a job search if you have a chronic physical or mental health condition, and when/if to divulge this information to the prospective employer.

My guest for this episode is Jane Springer, who’s been on the podcast several times before. Jane is a life coach specializing in health and wellness for women ages 50+.

We talk about what a chronic physical or mental health condition is, how to manage your condition during the stress of a job search, and how to make sure you find a job that can accommodate your specific health needs.

I often get questions about when and how to divulge information about a physical or mental condition during the job search. According to the Society for Human Resource Management’s website:

“The Americans with Disabilities Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. Disabilities outlined by the ADA include (but are in no way limited to) deafness, blindness, non-functioning or missing limbs, cancer, diabetes, asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, arthritis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, HIV and depression.

“Under the ADA, employers generally can't ask disability-related questions, such as whether the applicant has a disability or what the nature or severity of the disability is, or require applicants to undergo medical examinations until after the applicant has received a conditional job offer.

“Once a conditional job offer has been made, the employer may ask disability-related questions or require a medical examination so long as all individuals who receive offers for the same job are treated similarly. That means they must be asked the same questions or required to undergo the same medical examination, she said. (Once an individual is employed, disability-related questions and examinations again are prohibited except in limited circumstances.)

“Employers may, however, ask applicants whether they can perform the essential duties of a position with or without accommodation.

“Federal law also permits employers to ask applicants about reasonable accommodations before a conditional offer is made if the employer reasonably believes that the applicant may need an accommodation due to an obvious or voluntarily disclosed disability, or when an applicant has disclosed a need for an accommodation.”

A best practice is for employers to thoroughly describe the steps the candidate will go through, so the candidate can intelligently respond as to whether they will need accommodations.

If you don’t need accommodations to perform the job, you are under no obligation to voluntarily disclose a disability or condition. You may choose to disclose anyway – but you don’t have to.

You can find Jane Springer at [email protected] or visit her website at janespringer.com.