Narcolepsy Forum Posting

Posted by gone2bed on March 13, 2003 at 11:14:18:

In Reply to: special treatment at work posted by CuddleBunny on March 12, 2003 at 22:47:21:

CuddleBunny:

When I worked at a hospital foundation full-time for four months, I believe the experience was similar to what you describe. Everything at the hospital was unionized, so technically I wasn't authorized to lunch/nap in any other area of the hospital (besides the cafeteria) without proper authorization. Everyone I worked with ate lunch in the foundation office lunch room. My choices were 1) walk 15 minutes to where my car was parked, out in the cold, try and nap, and make my co-workers think I didn't like their company. 2) Curl up under my desk and risk the "normals" finding me. ;) Neither choice worked for me. The whole experience was torture. I was a walking zombie and I became very depressed. Eventually, I decided to tell my employer what my problems were. She wasn't too impressed and she even told me she "wouldn't have hired me if she had known because the office is busy and I am obviously too tired to keep up." This was a nightmare come true - HOWEVER, she was legally obliged to provide accommodation for me. She requested a first aid room for me to nap in at lunch. I would nap for 20 minutes or so and feel so refreshed after that I was so much more productive. When it came time for me to return to school, my boss told me "I was the best co-op student they had ever had."

I completely understand your fears of embarrassment - I had my fears validated by my boss's negative attitude towards me. I feel, however, that I have become stronger as a result of the experience - much stronger than if I had kept my "secret" and wrecked my health as a result.

I found that confiding in a couple of co-workers helped a great deal. They were very understanding of my situation - but they didn't dwell on it. I felt better telling them since it meant they no longer felt I was snubbing them at lunch time.

You couldn't pay me enough to work at that hospital again though. Even though my boss accommodated me, I just couldn't deal with her snide comments/judgements about Narcolepsy. It was suggested to me at a disability seminar afterward that even though I'm not legally obliged to disclose my particular disability at a job interview, it is probably beneficial to both employer and potential employee to be open and honest from the start. Thus, if I had disclosed my disability to my employer in my interview, then I suppose I wouldn't have been hired after all (and yes, this would've been illegal, but I realized long ago that I would need to be incredibly rich and full of energy if I were to sue every person that discriminates - I have to pick my battles!). To look on the bright side of things, however, I never would've wanted to work for an employer with such an ignorant attitude towards disabilities - life is too short. By being up front from the start, I may not have been hired, but I would've avoided a lot of the heartache she caused me in that 4 month time period. The benefit of honesty would've been mine in the end -the loss of "the best they've ever had" would've been my employer's.

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