I work for the federal government in the US. I was at work today and our agency has a main website that links articles and today the lead story was that my agency is one of the largest employers of people with disabilities and I read the article.
It linked over 100 assistive and adaptive technologies and programs for disabled people. They were broken down in four categories. Blind or low vision, mobility issues, deaf or low hearing and learning disabilities. Not one mention of mental health or one program for it.
I canât think of any accommodations that I might need. I have enough sick time to go to appointments and I have a lot of them.
I just know I am not even half the man I used to be. With going through probation and performance reviews it would be nice to have a safety net but I donât think there is one.
I canât think of one accommodation I might need.
I went back to school before I went back to work and I didnât ask for any accommodations there either. I take tests really quickly and can learn. I graduated.
Anybody have any ideas of accommodations a schizophrenic could ask for? I disclosed when I got hired that I had a serious psychiatric disorder although I didnât specify which one.
I would ask for flexible breaks instead of the normal fixed breaks. This way if youâre feeling very stressed you can take a break, instead of having to wait 3 hours for the next scheduled break. It would still be the same amount of time as the fixed breaks.
Hi, could u elaborate? I mean, how you would create profitable business with employee/employees who can at any moment just disappear because they are stressed or need to take a stroll? Would you expect other employees to cover for that person every time? Is it fair? Iâd like to hear your ideas.
Hi @TomCat I work for 2 local governments. I did not disclose my schizophrenia to my 2 employers due to the stigma.
Can you ask for a gym membership? Exercise has made quite a big difference to me in managing the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Itâs taken me 6 months to get fit & my fitness is really important to me.
I donât know what âaccommodationsâ means. Iâm in Melbourne, Australia. We donât use that term in the workplace. Accommodation means where you live.
I donât disclose my mental illness to anyone because I donât want to have to reassure any one that Iâm not going to kill them due to stigma about violence/homicidal maniacs etc. I just try to pass as normal. Every shift I hold my temper and smile and nod and let everyone know that Iâm a nice person & a hard worker. Then I end my shift & go back to being tortured & anguished.
I donât think about my youth and the high end professional I once was. I am just grateful now to have the entry-level jobs I have. God knows I worked hard to get them - 15 months of unpaid volunteer work to gain a good reputation & references.
Isnât exercise & cardio health a priority for you? I thought all anti-psychotics put us all on the fast train to heart disease, weight gain, obesity, high cholesterol & diabetes. Thatâs what my doctor told me.
I did some research here not to long ago, title âstudents with disabilitiesâ. I found some suggestions adaptable to work accommodations, like asking for more breaks, able to walk out if symptoms persist, have someone check up on you, and one I personally made, if I canât function at work simply leave earlier and not get punished for it.
pablo: is it possible to create money making business, employing people with certain mental disabilities?
helen from internet: here is article why employers value flexible employees
i canât even
is it related to my question? i donât see sources, is this article based on opinion? is it based on some kind of research? Every human being likes other flexible human beings, for the simplest reasons such as having a friend you can always count on.
@x_pablo I was in charge of hiring and managing a team of people at my last job. I really valued people who were able to be flexible, because I could trust them to get the work done by the deadline. Because they were working on their own schedule, they felt less stressed and produced better results. Some of them preferred to take most of their work home to do late at night, some people preferred to work during normal business hours. As long as they got all their tasks completed and produced high quality work, I had no problem with them taking breaks/logging hours whenever they wanted. This is obviously not appropriate for every environment, but for my team, it was awesome. Unfortunately, some managers go by what they can see, not by results. If they see employees taking breaks and goofing around, they scold them for not using time wisely. In reality, taking breaks helps keep people from getting burnt out and leads to longer employee retention and fewer sick days.
Also, please be respectful when speaking to others on here. @anon17132524 was trying to be polite and helpful, and there is no need to be sarcastic and rude to him.
we can talk about our careers and how we like flexible people, but i feel you are over-complicating the issue. I see a lot of phrases like âbetter resultsâ, âtasks completed and produced high quality workâ, but i donât know your market and what they are managing. It is relative, in your field it works, but for example (being blunt) i canât hire a schizo-relatedhealthproblem person who dissapears unannounced when i want to count on them dealing with key account, troubleshooting, or actually any unexpected events in strict hours and strict schedule dictated by the profile of enterprise.
yes, im refering to @anon17132524 first post and breaks idea all the time.
a propos your second post, i wasnât trying to be rude, i was commenting and asking about the article, @anon17132524 if you felt attacked or anything bad, im sorry for wording, not for my thoughts.
Most places I have worked/managed offered flexible breaks for everyone. The reasoning went: people tire out at different rates. If person A wants to take their break time at 10, and person B wants to take a break at 1, that is fine in most settings. Obviously in places like retail/customer service where someone needs to be available at all times, they will need to make sure there is coverage for their break. But there is no problem with saying âhey, I need a break. Can you find coverage for me for ten minutes?â I mean, if we didnât have that, how could people even go to the bathroom?
Even in fast-paced jobs, there should always be enough coverage for one person to take a break. If there isnât, thatâs a problem with management style, not with the workers who need the breaks.
Some employers mistreat their employees by forcing them to skip breaks or not granting them time to visit the bathroom. And those jobs end up losing a lot of people which costs a lot of money. Every time you hire someone new, thatâs a significant expense. If you can work with a person to keep them satisfied and happy at their job, you donât have to spend money hiring and training someone new. You also end up with more competent workers who are capable of doing their jobs more quickly. They also take fewer sick days, because they donât get burnt out.
I never said there should be an unlimited amount of breaks, or that the total time of the breaks would be more than the fixed breaks. Also, people with mental illness are not going to âdisappear unannounced.â
Here is an example of flexibility in the workplace: I went to the dentist a few months ago, and the day before my appointment the hygienist broke her wrist. My appointment was not cancelled because the dentist cleaned my teeth. The dentist didnât say: âItâs not in my job description to clean teeth.â
Employees (all employees) appreciate flexibility, and flexibility increases productivity. Thus, efficiency, productivity, and loyalty (less employee turnover) increases, which results in an increase in earnings.
Employer and employee (all employeesâincluding employees with a mental illness) flexibility is a win-win situation.
nonono, im asking seriously, im not using my time and energy just to trigger or tilt someone.
but i just need to write one word and im on my way from this topic.
Thereâs no reason to be insulting. If you canât be respectful, leave the conversation. i donât feel like babysitting this topic because of one person that insists on continuing to be disrespectful.
This is a support forum