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Information about all aspects of finances affected by a serious health condition. Includes income sources such as work, investments, and private and government disability programs, and expenses such as medical bills, and how to deal with financial problems.
Information about all aspects of health care from choosing a doctor and treatment, staying safe in a hospital, to end of life care. Includes how to obtain, choose and maximize health insurance policies.
Answers to your practical questions such as how to travel safely despite your health condition, how to avoid getting infected by a pet, and what to say or not say to an insurance company.

My Survivorship A to Z Guide

Employment Issues Essential

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Note: This is a sample Survivorship A to Z Guide for a fictitious person we call John. John is just diagnosed with HIV. To view a summary of his answers which led to this Guide, click here.

To get your own free, computer-generated A to Z Guide, click here.

If you need an accommodation at work because of your medical appointments, treatment, or because you are not feeling well, you are entitled to a reasonable accommodation, but you have to negotiate for it.

Even if you are entitled to an accommodation under laws such as the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), you have to ask for and your employer has to agree to an accommodation such as getting to work late, leaving early, working from home, changing where you work to being closer to a bathroom, assigning heavy lifting to someone else or even installing a ramp because of a wheelchair.  The agreement has to be "reasonable". What is reasonable depends on the situation.

The legal section of this guide provides information about what "reasonable" is. To learn how to negotiate with your employer about the accommodation you need, click here.

Please keep in mind that your needs may change over time. If so, you can renegotiate the accommodations you need.

NOTE: 

  • As noted above, you are not entitled to an accommodation unless your tell your employer about your health condition
  • Keep in mind that explaining an accommodation to co-workers may mean you will have to disclose your condition to them.

One of the first issues at work to deal with is whether to tell about your diagnosis. Who, if anyone, to tell? When? What to disclose? There are protections for disclosure to employers, but not to co-workers. [Tell me more]

As a person who has just been diagnosed with HIV, one of the most pressing issues is who, if anyone, to tell at work.

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and similar state laws provide that your employer must keep information about your health condition confidential. The laws also forbid discrimination based on your health condition.

As a practical matter, think about how your employer has been known to handle similar news before you disclose your condition.

Your co-workers are under no obligation to keep a secret.

There are many factors to consider when deciding whether to tell,including:

  • Especially think about the stress you may feel if you keep a secret.
  • You may need your co-workers to help carry some of your work load while you see doctors or take tests or treatments or just don't feel well.
  • If you need an accommodation to allow you to do your job, your co-workers will be curious about the change. (The ADA also requires that employers provide a reasonable accommodation to help you do your work.)

Although your health insurance is through work, your insurance company is not supposed to tell your employer about your health condition. This is the case even if the employer is large enough to self insure.