Not telling people

Re: "everyone should know

Submitted by GodivaGirl on Sun, 2006-10-22 - 09:27

I can see where your coming from with the "Right to Privacy Act" since I'm in Ontario. However, I also work in a field where there are risks & where it's tough to get a job without the honesty about the fact that I am epileptic. After all, I don't doubt the current company I'm at transferred me to marketing (a dept that requires no travel) since I don't have a license, even though I told them that up front. There are other issues in Information Technology, where if you don't tell your employer, they hold you accountable & I think this applies to a lot of office environments. Flourescent lights in a cubicle environment - if you're on a laptop or desktop in that and want a glare screen or LCD, where I used to work I had to tell them I was epileptic. At this job, they want me to get something from my neuro. There have been a few afternoon's I've taken off because I work on an outdated laptop with 4 dying flouresents in the room I'm in. Where I used to work, equally fun. Less lights but soo much furniture crammed into my office. The first seizure (one of 2) there I smashed my face off a wood desk, cut my nose, eye & forehead, then smashed the back of my head off a book case that was right behind my desk. The CEO who showed up years later gave me a seizure friendly layout. The next seizure, I just bruised my face a bit. That's why I say depending on the type of job, you may need to tell an employer. After seizure # 1, I actually threatened to go after my former place of employment under the HRDC for compensation & time off & because they knew I was epileptic, I could have. I just decided it wasn't worth it. However, from what the HRDC told me, since my employer knew odds are compensation would've been there - they were just backlogged (like everything else in ON). Thing is if anything happens & an employer doesn't know - it's hard for them to treat you, and if it's their fault, you've got nothing to fall back on. That was my main thing. Bar scene - well, I lived thru taking care of a friend with alcohol poisioning who wasn't epileptic. Just too thin (only a size 2) and a person who didn't drink much that drank most of a 26er of vodka & more after breaking up with an abusive boyfriend. Always good for people to know you have seizure meds in u on top of booze incase anything happens, but an ER doc can sort that out. Luckily for me, they've never had to. Friends/Family - most of mine the first seizure I have freak & wanna call 911. I hate hospitals, and for me they are not mandatory. So, I'd rather tell people this is what to expect to see if you do call Rick (boyfriend), can't get him call my dad. That's just how I like doing things. Correct you are though, there is that "Right to Privacy". Wish it could work to my favor some how & help the "so why don't you have a license" question. Oh well, such is life.