You can decide how much information you want to tell people about your brain injury.
Telling people at work about your brain injury is called injury disclosure. This includes talking to your manager and co-workers. If you are returning to your pre-injury job, it is likely your employer will know of your injury, but some co-workers may not know.
Disclosing your brain injury is a personal decision. There is no legal requirement for you to tell people at work about it. It is a good idea to tell your employer about your brain injury if it impacts your ability to do your work tasks, or if your brain injury could impact other people’s safety in the workplace. Most people with a brain injury choose to tell a new employer about their brain injury.
Your rehab team and vocational provider can give you advice about telling your employer about your brain injury.
The following tips may be helpful in making the decision about disclosing your brain injury.
Reasons to disclose your injury
- You can ask for the support you may need at work.
- Even if you feel you can do the work tasks, you would like your employer to know you have a brain injury.
- You appear to be honest and proactive.
- You can tell other people about your brain injury.
- You can focus on your skills and abilities despite having a brain injury.
- Your co-workers can support your efforts to work.
Reasons not to disclose your brain injury
- You feel you will be able to do the job tasks safely despite your brain injury.
- You feel unsure about talking about your brain injury with people you don’t know, e.g. future co-workers.
- You are worried your employer or co-workers may have negative views about your brain injury.
- You may be given low-level tasks because people don’t want to put pressure on you.
- When you have a bad day, people may think it is due to your brain injury.
Understand your injury
Before telling a potential new employer about your brain injury, it is important to be clear about:
- your understanding of your brain injury
- how your brain injury may affect your ability to do the work tasks
- what help or support you may need to do certain work tasks.
What information is good to disclose to the employer
The information you share with your employer should focus on how you can do the work tasks and any adjustments that will help you at work. This may be based on supports that you have used before. Your vocational provider or rehab team can guide you.
Tips to help you decide what information to disclose
- Describe your brain injury to the employer as a trait rather than a limitation.
- Tell the employer general information about your brain injury, for example how the injury occurred and what changes you have noticed since your brain injury.
- Suggest the supports you may need in the workplace.
Some people with a brain injury practice talking about their injury to friends or family before telling an employer.
What to tell your co-workers
It is your decision whether to tell co-workers about your brain injury.
If you are returning to the same workplace, your co-workers may already know. It is important they understand how your brain injury may change the way you do things at work.
Co-workers may expect you to behave the same after you return to work. This can lead to misunderstandings if they don’t understand why your behaviour may have changed.
It is important for work colleagues to understand why you have any workplace adjustments or assistance in place. For example, needing more time to complete tasks or needing to take more work breaks during the day.
You may choose to tell your co-workers about your brain injury separately or as a group. Or your rehab team could talk to your co-workers about your brain injury and what they can expect when you return to work.
It’s good if co-workers ask questions as it shows they’re interested and helps them feel informed. But you don’t have to answer all questions. It’s okay for you to decide how much detail you wish to share about your injury and your situation.
People who have returned to work after a brain injury report they tell the co-workers they will be working with, and then tell other people at the workplace as they get to know them.
When to disclose your brain injury if you are applying for a job
Again this is your decision about when to disclose your brain injury. You can disclose on the job application, at the interview, following the interview or after starting the job.
On the job application
- You appear honest.
- May give you peace of mind.
- It will let the employer decide if your injury will be an issue for your employment.
- There is a risk of discrimination towards you by the employer.
- You may not be able to present your skills and explain the effects of your injury.
During the interview
- You appear honest.
- May give you peace of mind.
- The interview gives you the opportunity to present your skills and explain the impact of your brain injury.
- Discrimination towards you is less likely in a face-to-face interview.
- May change the focus of the interview from your abilities to your injury.
- You may not explain your injury in a positive way if you focus on what you cannot do.
After the interview
- You appear honest.
- May give you peace of mind.
- Allows you to present your skills and abilities in the interview.
- Discrimination towards you is less likely in a conversation.
- Allows you to discuss the adjustments you may need if you were successful.
- Any adjustments needed can be made before you start work.
- The employer may feel you should have let them know before a decision was made.
- May lead to your employer distrusting you.
After you start working
- Allows you to prove yourself and your abilities to complete the work tasks.
- The employer may feel you have not been honest.
- If you find you are struggling with performing all work tasks, it may be more challenging for the employer to make the workplace adjustments you need.
Resources
You can read these resources for more information about disclosing your brain injury at work.
- Brainline. Dos and don'ts of disclosure
- Employ Me. Understanding disclosure