In May of 2023, a neurologist confirmed my suspicions about the symptoms I’d been experiencing: I had Parkinson’s Disease.
Putting a name on my condition gave me some answers, but ultimately created a host of new questions. Chief among them: what, if anything, do I tell my boss?
Health is a touchy subject in the workplace. Each company has its own policies; there are laws governing what can and cannot be discussed, along with protections such as the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Bumping up against these written rules are office politics and concerns about your own career.
In Parkinson’s Disease for Dummies, Michele Tagliati and Jo Horne recommend a four prong approach to making the decision about how and when to approach your employer:
Assess your abilities. Put together an honest assessment of your position requirements and whether or not you can continue to fulfill them.
Verify your assessment with your doctors. Discuss your job responsibilities with your PD doctor and get a written medical evaluation of your ability to perform those duties.
Explore workplace accommodations. Research what the company can offer to accommodate your changing needs and what it has offered other employees in the past (such as a different workstation configuration or a flexible schedule so that you can work in-house when your symptoms are well managed or work from home).
Know your workplace policies and legal options. Familiarize yourself with the options that the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) or other government programs may offer.
The Parkinson’s Foundation has a good basic description of the protections offered by the ADA:
By law, people with Parkinson’s are protected against discrimination in employment practices. The ADA requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for employees, as long as they do not impose an “undue hardship” on the employer’s business. A reasonable accommodation is defined as “any modification or adjustment to a job or the work environment that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions.”
I chose to tell my boss about the diagnosis, and ultimately let my co-workers know as well — the symptoms were visible at times, trying to keep a secret seemed like a hassle, and I decided I really didn’t care who knew about it.
That decision worked out well for me, but your mileage may vary. Educate yourself, and weigh the pros and cons carefully.
For more detailed information and advice about how to navigate the thicket of laws, rules, and challenges of disabilities in the workplace, a good place to start is the Job Accomodations Network, (JAN) a service of the US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. There is information for both employers and employees. JAN can be reached at (800) 526-7234 or (877) 781-9403 (TTY).
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Bonus For Those Who Read to the Bottom
Molly Tuttle tackles Jefferson Airplane
Donny & Marie Osmond sing Steely Dan. Warning: once you see this, you will never be able to unsee it. There is singing, dancing, ice skating, and, um, “comedy.” For seven minutes. It will haunt your dreams.
Shakin' Street -- A Parkinson's Blog 
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