Thursday, March 6, 2008

Recovering from an illness

From today's Career Q&A in the WSJ, Perri Cappell gives advice on how to disclose a recent, life-threatening illness to an employer when it led to extended time off. The person who asked the question has received treatment and is in remission, but he wants to know how to deal with an employer who might be concerned about his...longevity?

I agree with Cappell that you can disclose it to an employer--and if you look at recent cancer statistics, you may be across the desk from a survivor, or a person who may have an invisible, chronic disease--and who will understand that part of healing and living means returning to work.

Personally, I feel if you have been treated and are "healed", that you need not disclose unless you are reasonably sure that it may have an impact on your job performance. But disease is nothing to be ashamed of, either in refusing to disclose or deciding to lay it out there.

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