How to tell an employer about my health condition?

Former Member

How do I tell an interviewer that I suffer from leg ulcers and I cannot stand in one place every day?

I've been going to Remploy and National Careers Service for the past 4-5 months and not one person has told me how to tell them about my health condition.


I went to an interview a couple of weeks ago and the interview went well until I told them that I've suffered from leg ulcers and that I can't stand in one place all the time.......It was an easy job with good pay, and if I didn't tell them about my condition I think I would have got it.

Before anyone says it.......I have to tell employers about my health condition or my ulcers will return again.

Former Member

Hey SpinTires

Sorry to hear about your condition, and sorry to hear about the job interview.

I think it's about having key points of what you want to get across and how you word it.

I guess it's about the right time to speak about it. Do you feel confident in speaking to a interviewer about your condition? The only reason I ask is cos if you don't feel confident it may leave you unsure when is the right time to speak up about your health condition.

I just mean it's about having facts about how this affects you, and also making sure it's the right time to speak about it. I think usually in application forms they have a section asking about health conditions etc..

Hope this helps in some way.

Keep us posted on how your doing.

Former Member

Yes I'm very confident telling employers about my condition. I brought it up because when they asked why I left my previous job, I said it was partly because I was made redundant and the other because of a medical condition. Half of the job was standing up in one place and the other moving round.


It isn't classified as a disability. I didn't fill an application form in for the job, I applied using my CV and cover letter and it was sent to a recruitment agency.

If there is a time when I have to fill an application form in and it's for a sitting down job, I don't need to say anything. On the other hand if it's a job where I might be standing up, then I may write something like 'Questionable'. I haven't filled an app' form in for a long time, I always send a CV and cover letter.

It isn't all that impossible to stand in one place, but if it's all day, then I wouldn't want to do the job. I guess half a day, doesn't really matter.

I'm applying for jobs as best as I can. But they're far few between now and I'm finding it difficult to get an interview because all the jobs I've been applying for requires the candidate to be qualified. There are other jobs I'm looking into but again, I don't have any experience.

Former Member

Hi SpinTires

I don't know if this is helpful, but I just wanted to say that disability is classified in different ways for different purposes. So, even if leg ulcers aren't classed as a disability in some cases, they might in others.

The Equality Act obliges your employers to make reasonable adjustments, and the Equality Act's definition of disability is "‘physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’", which sounds like it might apply to you at the moment.

It might be worth having a chat through with someone at Acas (they provides information and advice about workplace rights and you can call their helpline on 08457 47 47 47 from 8am-8pm Monday-Friday and 9am-1pm on Saturdays).

Danny

Former Member

Thanks Danny but it isn't useful. I have researched 'leg ulcers' and they are not classified as being a disability.