Parents – please tell your teens to stop talking about their mental health when applying for jobs!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For many kids, their mental health issues (usually self-diagnosed) are their whole identity.

That’s really 😞 sad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sit on a lot of hiring panels and stuff like this is rampant. I’ve had interviews where instead of answering our questions, they just want to know about work life balance. Asking about whether they can end work at 2pm and work again at 9pm. Another wanted to travel the world while working remotely from hotel rooms. But yes, please don’t tell me about mental health issues in an interview. I work at a flexible place but people really push the boundaries

So much of this lately.
1.Demanding top level c-suite compensation at entry level.
2. Discussing diagnostic information in a field where descression with information is key.
3. Showing up to interview looking absurd, dirty sweatpants, cartoonish piercing and hairstyles which I could overlook if they weren't in a crop top too.
4. Expecting summers off or drastically reduced hours fully remote. We are not a remote business.
5. The hiring committee jokes that dx and activist message of choice is the new he/she/they label.

[Anonymous]

The under 35s are very comfortable sharing their mental health issues. I’m not sure how common it is on job interviews but guaranteed you have hired some counselors that has some mental health issues. It’s a combination of more is known medically and the shame that so many had to endure for having this type of illness is going away.

That said nobody wants to hear about their self diagnosed ailments. I don’t know if it helps or hurts people with serious mental health diagnoses. My sister with schizophrenia suffered horribly from debilitating symptoms along with people treating her badly her whole life and talking down to her as if she wasn’t an intelligent woman with feelings.

Hearing voices and watching doors melt when you’re talking a walk produces anxiety. Having to work with people full time might produce discomfort.

[Anonymous]

I’m going to be a devil’s advocate for a minute and say that they’re helping destigmatize mental health issues by talking about them up front instead of hiding them out of shame. Also, we wouldn’t expect someone with an obvious physical disability, like using a wheelchair, to have to hide that in an interview, so why should people who have limitations due to mental health have to be deceptive.

I do agree that it is not to their benefit to disclose these issues in a cover letter and that it’s unprofessional to do so. I think there is more gray area when bringing it up during an actual interview, but it is probably best left unsaid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Times have changed. I do some interviewing of recent college grads for our org and a significant percentage of them mention being in therapy.

I'd be glad that they were upfront about this, so I'd know not to hire them. I don't want mentally unstable people working for me! Also, I would not want to deal with them missing work for therapy.

Major ADA violation. The OP is right that potential employees should not be discussing their need for accommodations before they are hired, because people like you will discriminate against them. But if you denied an employee time off to take care of a medical problem (which is what therapy is) you would 100% lose any resulting lawsuit.

Reading comprehension, defensive PP. Just try.

What did I misunderstand? The PP I responded to said they wouldn't knowingly hire someone with a mental health disability because they wouldn't want to "deal with" them needing time off to go to therapy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Times have changed. I do some interviewing of recent college grads for our org and a significant percentage of them mention being in therapy.

I'd be glad that they were upfront about this, so I'd know not to hire them. I don't want mentally unstable people working for me! Also, I would not want to deal with them missing work for therapy.

Major ADA violation. The OP is right that potential employees should not be discussing their need for accommodations before they are hired, because people like you will discriminate against them. But if you denied an employee time off to take care of a medical problem (which is what therapy is) you would 100% lose any resulting lawsuit.

Tangential question. How does sick leave work then, if an employer needs to allow an employee time off for any medical matter at any time? (I agree time off for mental health matters is no different than time off for physical health matters.)

Depending on the nature of the job, it could be unpaid (but job protected) time off or it could be allowing that employee to flex their hours or something else that works for everyone. FMLA can also be taken intermittently, if there is significant time away from work (and the employee is eligible, which a new employee wouldn't be). Not all health concerns would necessarily meet the ADA definition of disability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Times have changed. I do some interviewing of recent college grads for our org and a significant percentage of them mention being in therapy.

I'd be glad that they were upfront about this, so I'd know not to hire them. I don't want mentally unstable people working for me! Also, I would not want to deal with them missing work for therapy.

Major ADA violation. The OP is right that potential employees should not be discussing their need for accommodations before they are hired, because people like you will discriminate against them. But if you denied an employee time off to take care of a medical problem (which is what therapy is) you would 100% lose any resulting lawsuit.

Which is why it’s better to avoid hiring them in the first place- for whatever reason you want to call it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids who are trying to get jobs basically taking care of younger kids at a sleep-away camp are telling you their mental health limitations and need of accommodations? No way would I hire someone who needs to be taken care of to take care of other kids.

Then it's a good thing you aren't in charge of hiring. If someone has a disability but can perform the core functions of the job if given reasonable accommodations, it's against the law to refuse to hire them because of that disability.

Nothing the OP said suggested that these teens couldn't do the job or that the requested accommodations were unreasonable.

It’s not against the law to refuse to hire them because you sense they have an inability to keep private information private until it needs to be disclosed. I wouldn’t hire anyone telling me their personal problems in a first interview either. Especially if the potential job requires them to be entrusted with private information of others.

You would be risking an ADA case. As well you should. The only private info they e disclosed is their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sit on a lot of hiring panels and stuff like this is rampant. I’ve had interviews where instead of answering our questions, they just want to know about work life balance. Asking about whether they can end work at 2pm and work again at 9pm. Another wanted to travel the world while working remotely from hotel rooms. But yes, please don’t tell me about mental health issues in an interview. I work at a flexible place but people really push the boundaries

So much of this lately.
1.Demanding top level c-suite compensation at entry level.
2. Discussing diagnostic information in a field where descression with information is key.
3. Showing up to interview looking absurd, dirty sweatpants, cartoonish piercing and hairstyles which I could overlook if they weren't in a crop top too.
4. Expecting summers off or drastically reduced hours fully remote. We are not a remote business.
5. The hiring committee jokes that dx and activist message of choice is the new he/she/they label.

Discretion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sit on a lot of hiring panels and stuff like this is rampant. I’ve had interviews where instead of answering our questions, they just want to know about work life balance. Asking about whether they can end work at 2pm and work again at 9pm. Another wanted to travel the world while working remotely from hotel rooms. But yes, please don’t tell me about mental health issues in an interview. I work at a flexible place but people really push the boundaries

So much of this lately.
1.Demanding top level c-suite compensation at entry level.
2. Discussing diagnostic information in a field where descression with information is key.
3. Showing up to interview looking absurd, dirty sweatpants, cartoonish piercing and hairstyles which I could overlook if they weren't in a crop top too.
4. Expecting summers off or drastically reduced hours fully remote. We are not a remote business.
5. The hiring committee jokes that dx and activist message of choice is the new he/she/they label.

Do you mean discretion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids who are trying to get jobs basically taking care of younger kids at a sleep-away camp are telling you their mental health limitations and need of accommodations? No way would I hire someone who needs to be taken care of to take care of other kids.

Then it's a good thing you aren't in charge of hiring. If someone has a disability but can perform the core functions of the job if given reasonable accommodations, it's against the law to refuse to hire them because of that disability.

Nothing the OP said suggested that these teens couldn't do the job or that the requested accommodations were unreasonable.

It’s not against the law to refuse to hire them because you sense they have an inability to keep private information private until it needs to be disclosed. I wouldn’t hire anyone telling me their personal problems in a first interview either. Especially if the potential job requires them to be entrusted with private information of others.

You would be risking an ADA case. As well you should. The only private info they e disclosed is their own.

Good luck proving and winning your case.

[Anonymous]

I'd rather hire someone in treatment than hire someone who refuses to get evaluation or diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sit on a lot of hiring panels and stuff like this is rampant. I’ve had interviews where instead of answering our questions, they just want to know about work life balance. Asking about whether they can end work at 2pm and work again at 9pm. Another wanted to travel the world while working remotely from hotel rooms. But yes, please don’t tell me about mental health issues in an interview. I work at a flexible place but people really push the boundaries

So much of this lately.
1.Demanding top level c-suite compensation at entry level.
2. Discussing diagnostic information in a field where descression with information is key.
3. Showing up to interview looking absurd, dirty sweatpants, cartoonish piercing and hairstyles which I could overlook if they weren't in a crop top too.
4. Expecting summers off or drastically reduced hours fully remote. We are not a remote business.
5. The hiring committee jokes that dx and activist message of choice is the new he/she/they label.

This is so fake, which is good, because you'd be speed running for a lawsuit if it were real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My children went two sleep away camps in NC both are well known and have been mentioned on DCUM as "great camps"

I wish the hiring process did weed out these kids. At least they are being upfront.

Because the camps sure were not.

One told us "oh yes we dropped the ball on this one", "would you like to put your check in for next year now".

My response "Hell no"

What was your issue with the camps?

NP. Presumably a mentally ill teen being in charge of their kid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My children went two sleep away camps in NC both are well known and have been mentioned on DCUM as "great camps"

I wish the hiring process did weed out these kids. At least they are being upfront.

Because the camps sure were not.

One told us "oh yes we dropped the ball on this one", "would you like to put your check in for next year now".

My response "Hell no"

What was your issue with the camps?

NP. Presumably a mentally ill teen being in charge of their kid

Eh. Majority of teens are concivnced via YouTube/tiktok that they have depression, anxiety, adhd etc. Diagnosis is based on your narrative of yourself. These things are way over diagnosed in teens