Can job references tell your new employer if you have mental illness?
I signed up with a temp agency and they immediately put me up for a great job. All I have to do to get the job is have my references checked. I gave them 1 work reference and 1 educational reference (college) when I signed up.
On the phone they said I actually need a reference from my Uni, which I dropped out of (and they know I did but not for MI reasons), and without thinking gave them the name of the course tutor who dealt with my MI issues.
It just occurred to me - is she going to tell them that I left the course because of mental illness? Is she going to give me a bad reference because I dropped out of the course?
>>16686366
>What is your mental illness.
Being honesty might help advantages of a consideration. Or you can be rejected and claim discrimination of a mental impairment. Also unless you have had therapy too show recovery. They might not considerate it without knowing you have been helped to recover or have stability. Because they need to know you can handle what is expected in the job without another breakdown effecting the job you are about to do.
>>16686412
My mental illness is severe clinical depression which I have suffered with for a long time. My doctor said I should not be working but I cannot afford not to work as I have no support and would be homeless if I didn't which is why I need the job
>>16686444
Can you talk to the professor who you used as your reference? I'm sure they'd say things that would only help you get the job.
>>16686566
I sent her an email but she will definitely have been contacted before she reads it.
She doesn't really know me as anything other than "troubled mentally ill student" and I can't imagine she has anything else to say unless she lies. I had no other contact at Uni to give
>>16686587
I see. Well have you already had your interview? I'm sure that what matters most is their in-person impression of you rather than someone who didn't know you very well.
Also, it sounds illegal and discriminatory to not hire you purely because you suffer from a mental illness. I'm no expert, though.
>>16686616
I had an interview with the agency, but not the company they're trying to get me the job with. My interview with them went very well, however, I still need to do another interview with the company for this job (if my references come back okay)
>>16686616
>Also, it sounds illegal and discriminatory to not hire you purely because you suffer from a mental illness. I'm no expert, though.
It doesn't stop an employer from not employing you though. How can anyone prove anything?
>>16686587
If you're living in the United States and she discloses your medical information without your distinct approval, probably a written form, I'm pretty sure that's incredibly illegal.
>>16686708
What if she speaks bad of me due to actions I took while mentally ill, which she was aware of, without explicitly saying I am ill?
>>16686732
You'd probably need to consult the law on that, it's probably a grey area but I would say it depends on what exactly she says.
Either way, what can you actually do in the near future to change your situation? If there's nothing you can do, then you're just worrying about nothing.
