…you’ve got to have a J-O-B… if you wanna be…um… sane??  Ok, maybe not everyone, but definitely for me!  I’ve recently had to rediscover why staying at home for long lengths of time is not a great option for me.  I was laid off from my job a few months ago, so I’ve been laying REALLY low while trying to find my next “work home” (hence, one reason I haven’t posted in awhile).  I don’t do well as a recluse.  I need social activities and the buzz of everyone working around me, so I’m going a bit nuts at home.  I realized, however, that this is the PERFECT topic to write about!  “Is it?”  You ask.  I mean, most of you are probably reading this from your desk at work without a care in the world, so this may not seem like such a “hot topic” for you.  As I’ve experienced, however, jobs aren’t always definite, and if you have any health issues, like me, you might want to stick around for a bit…

You see, the last time I was laid off was almost 20 years ago!  WHAT?  I know… I just totally aged myself by saying that.  However, at that time, things seemed so much simpler.  NOW… damn!  It’s a whole new ballgame!  Things have changed not only with the process of finding a job, but for my personal situation as well (I’m older, more experienced, have more health issues to worry about, and a LOT more bills to pay).  While I’ve been chipping away at this job hunt process, a few things have popped up that I wanted to share with you:

1.  Absolutely sign up for unemployment if you qualify.  I was going to wait until I needed it (because I had received a severance package), however, since the transplant and Celiac diagnosis, my bills and expenses have sky rocketed.  Every penny I can get from unemployment is huge help with those expenses and I can focus on using my severance for rent and car payments, etc.  Don’t hold off signing up!
2. Discrimination is a possibility.  While it’s illegal for any company to discriminate against someone due to their health, age, race, gender, etc., let’s be honest…it still happens.  They may not openly admit it, but when a company is trying to weed out the top candidates from a pile of possibly hundreds or thousands of applicants, they will look for any excuse to eliminate you and make their job easier.  It’s not ideal, nor is it right, but it’s reality.  I’ve noticed in every application I’ve come across, a section where they ask for “voluntary information” that includes race, gender, etc.  I generally don’t have an issue answering these questions, but they have now listed Diabetes as a “disability”.  I have never, ever considered this a disability, but rather a condition I have to just deal with daily.  I always choose the “I prefer not to answer” box for that question.  That may cause a red flag by doing so, but I’d rather wow them with my Wonder Woman work skills before giving them a chance to judge me on my health (after they hire me)!  
3. Negotiate!  Anyone that has pre-existing conditions already knows the importance of maintaining continual health insurance, and carrying proof of that continual health insurance.  (If you don’t… take note!  I have always had to prove to a new health insurance company that I had previous coverage for my conditions before they would cover me at a new company.)  Something that most people aren’t aware of, though, is that when negotiating your final salary amount with a new employer, you can also negotiate your health insurance coverage starting date!  A lot of companies make you wait a few months before beginning your new health insurance plan.  If you are making COBRA payments, though, you know how extremely expensive that waiting period could get!  I have always managed to negotiate the starting date of my insurance coverage to begin immediately upon my work-start date to prevent having to go broke.  *crossing my fingers that I can continue to do so!*
4. Stay healthy!  While I haven’t been the best example of it lately, it’s very important to maintain your usual routine of staying healthy.  Continue to see your doctors, keep working out, eat right… you know the drill.  You do not want your health to suffer just because you aren’t working full-time!  It’s tough, mentally, to stay motivated, but you’ll get through it, and you want to be healthy and ready to take on your next job chapter with gusto!  I have been a bit too gusto with my cooking (I’ve had more time to do it, so why not…hee), so I have to be better about getting my booty to the gym, but I have made a strong point of not letting everything else slide while job hunting.  🙂

Now, as I excitedly look for a dinner recipe that might take two hours to cook (just because I can!), I’m making a promise to myself that I will make a trip to the gym tomorrow and try to make more of an effort to get out of the house!

Sharing time – I’m curious if anyone else has run into this fear or experienced any situations where your health has prohibited you from getting a job/promotion.   Please share below!