Hi Luisa,

Thanks for writing to us and congratulations on the interview! I have sent your question over to our coaches who will get back to you soon. In the meantime, I would recommend checking out the following articles on our website, as I think that they will help to answer your question:

• Top Three Legal Questions About Employment (see the first question): http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/at-work/Legal-and-Financial/top-three-legal-questions


• Your Legal Rights in the Workplace: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/at-work/Legal-and-Financial/Cancer-and-the-ADA-FMLA

I hope that this is helpful and our coaches will be in touch soon.

Best,

Sarah, Manger of Programs, Cancer and Careers

Thank you Sarah! 

Hi Luisa, I am so happy that you have this interview! 

If you read the information that Sarah gave you, you will know that legally you are under no obligation to divulge anything about your health. 

I am curious about your reason for wanting to tell a potential employer about your bone marrow transplant? I appreciate your desire to do this if you value transparency. However it is important for you to think about the possible implications of doing so. Everyone you talk to will have a different experience and perspective about your cancer diagnosis and treatment which could possibly be negative. 

I respect your feelings tremendously, however as a career coach, I would advise you to focus your conversation on your experience, past achievements and the things you can do to help your new potential employer help them to meet their goals. 

As you move successfully through the interviewing process and feel confident and comfortable with sharing your diagnosis, then this is what you should do at this point. Or you may decide not to share this information until you start your new job. Good luck!

 Take care, 

Julie

Hi Julie and Sarah,

Thank you for your help - happy to report that I got the job! 

I still have a repressed immune system following the transplant, and reduced energy. I'm fortunate that the job has a staggered start date, and will build up over time, so I feel confident starting and building up shifts over time. 

I shared that I had had leukemia and a transplant, but didn't go into further detail. After meeting with the employer, I feel confident that my energy and immunity will not be a problem, but if I do need to say something, it will be ok to do so.

Thank you again for your help - it was a comfort to know I could ask here! 

Hi Luisa,

Congratulations! That's wonderful news, I'm glad that you're excited about the job and feel ready to get back to work. 

If you have any questions going forward don't hesitate to reach out.

Best of luck!

Sarah, Manager of Programs, Cancer and Careers

That is amazing Luisa! 

Huge congratulations! 

Take care, Julie