Do employees have to disclose that they have a disability?

There is no legal obligation for an employee to disclose that they have a disability. However, employers need to be conscious that there could be a health and safety concern or risk surrounding certain disabilities and therefore ideally they need to know. This requires employers to impress upon employees the reasons for requiring such information. The best way to ensure this is for employers to create a culture which makes employees comfortable and willing to share this information in the knowledge that the disclosure will be handled professionally, confidentially and with respect.

There are also benefits to the employee in disclosing a disability as employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments or accommodations to enable people with a disability to make a job or workplace accessible.

Wednesday, 25 March 2009