Dealing with Depression at Work

On the other hand, your perception of your performance may not be accurate due to your depression. I went through a major bout of depression right before I was diagnosed and treated. When I had my next performance review, which was positive, I asked my boss, who was very exacting, if she had been aware that I was suffering from depression. She had no idea.

Some work cultures are more difficult, if not impossible, in which to disclose your mental illness. I have received several heartbreaking emails over the years from people in the U.S. military who were afraid to even seek treatment for their depression, even from a non-military doctor, for fear that they would be exposed somehow. I'm sure they were right to be concerned.

Reasons you should disclose

One guideline is to be open only when it would be worse to keep quiet. In other words, if it's clear that your performance has suffered and you are afraid that you are going to be fired, you need to disclose your condition. As I understand it, bringing your condition up when you are in the process of being fired won't protect you, because you didn't give your company the opportunity to accommodate your condition. The ADA requires employers to make accommodation to an employee with a "known condition."

Another reason you might want to disclose your depression is if you know of another employee who disclosed that they are mentally ill and were treated fairly. In this situation, it's better that your employer know than letting them think that you are simply a poor performer.

As you can see, the decision of whether to disclose your depression or not is complicated, and each situation is different. I would definitely recommend getting Working in the Dark: Keeping Your Job While Dealing with Depression, as it has some useful tools to help you make this decision. Also, I would strongly suggest your consulting an employment lawyer, if you can afford it.

Related Posts:

Accommodations for Depression at Work

Hard Choices: My Job or My Health?

Is Your Job Causing Your Depression?