Medical Questionnaire

AllyB1983

Good evening and sorry if this has been asked before.

I've just secured an administrative position within the government and they've sent out for me to fill in my references and medical questionnaire. The latter poses the problem.

I've just left the teaching industry after only a year and a term. It was too much and I've had a huge 77 days off as a result of depression/anxiety/exhaustion.

I never want to lie about anything but I feel like this disclosure would hinder my employment. My condition isn't recognised as a disability and therefore isn't a breach of the Equality Act 2010 if they rescind thevoffer. My record was good before this but the profession drove me to the time off.

Should I disclose this issue or bury it? All advice is useful.

Thanks in advance.

whitewing

Speak to Mind and they may help you work out the different options.

AllyB1983

Thanks. Was just seeing if anyone had encountered similar issues in the past.

elsien

I wouldn't lie. If it crops up in your references, or something happened further down the line and they requested medical access then it will come back to bite you on the bum. Better to find ways to spin it, in my opinion.

theoretica

I suspect they will specifically ask about sick absences when they request references.

AllyB1983

Employers aren't allowed to ask about references about occasions of absence anymore.

elsien

Yes they can, if a job offer has been made. It's when they ask during the earlier recruitment stages that it's problematic.
And even if they don't ask, the previous employer may take it upon themselves to add the information anyway. If it is factual and accurate then there is no reason they can't say it.

AllyB1983

They can ask your previous employers to rate attendance and punctuality (good, poor etc) but can't ask for number of days.

Savvy_Sue

AllyB1983 wrote: »

Employers aren't allowed to ask about references about occasions of absence anymore.

I know we recently had a reference request and my manager tried NOT to give an exact reply about how much sick leave the former colleague had taken. The new employer persisted, and our HR advice service confirmed that that we could and should answer the question.

AllyB1983 wrote: »

They can ask your previous employers to rate attendance and punctuality (good, poor etc) but can't ask for number of days.

I'm not quite sure what you think 77 days would equate to on that system ...

If you answer the medical questionnaire less than honestly, there's a real chance that in the near or more distant future the truth will come out, and you could be liable to dismissal as a result.

Getting help with completing it would be sensible, and making it clear that now the stressors of teaching have been removed you expect to be fine. However I don't know how the Civil Service 'score' these questionnaires.

TELLIT01

Withholding information which has been specifically requested could certainly create problems further down the line.
Certainly not trying to make light of the stresses of a job in teaching, but if the OP thinks life working for the Civil Service is low stress they will be in for a nasty shock.

Undervalued

AllyB1983 wrote: »

They can ask your previous employers to rate attendance and punctuality (good, poor etc) but can't ask for number of days.

Yes they can once an offer of employment has been made.