New job and should I inform them about dyspraxia

[Kezziaaa]

I'm 20 and a few months ago got diagnose with severe dyspraxia and dyslexia and mild visual stress.
To be honest, nothing had ever made more sense then finding this out.

I've recently started work at quite a fancy restaurant doing waitressing and its been okay. But I have made multiple mistakes, putting plates at the wrong tables as being confused by numbers and places. And have dropped multiple plates, but I am a lot better at work then I am out of work. As I am trying my best just a lot slower than whats expected.

One of my biggest struggles is polishing cuttlery as my hands get tangled and I just cant do it quick enough, this is something my manager keeps going on about. And now started to time me.

I dont know if I should tell him about being dyspraxic? (And others) as I feel it would help understand why I am a little bit off with certain areas and I want him to be aware that I am trying my best.

However, I dont want it to be like Im using this as an excuse? And how would I come accross telling him?

[Jim]

Quite a tricky one really.

You have every right to disclose this and to request reasonable adjustment.

It's difficult to predict how your colleagues will react to it though. Some people are quite accepting and tolerant whilst others can be ignorantly dismissive. It's a lottery to what'll you get.

I imagine being threatend with a stopwatch for cleaning cutlery is irritating and humiliating in equal measures though.

[Jakey]

I think so, because certain aspects of your dyspraxia may make working more difficult especially in a busy environment. They'll hopefully be more understanding if you tell them.

My old employers didn't know I had dyspraxia and they had problems with how slowly I worked, my organisation and my tendency to constantly space out and ultimately that contributed to me losing my job. So, I made a point to express on my application for my current job that I'm dyspraxic, and I don't know how much emphasis has been put on that but there is a lot less pressure on myself from my employers; so hopefully it had been taken into account.

[Philip]

Interesting thread.

I have never lasted long than 3 months in a job at a company even though I have disclosed my disability (all jobs via employment agencies) and a placement back in 2009 which I never got much work experience as we were all sent home after 30 minutes per day, nothing to do with ourselves just he could not handled how many people he had on placement,

I been to a number of training providers over the years to help me find work (paid employment) had pretty much different views from the the advisors, some say do not mention it in your application or at interview stage or within the job, some have said put it by all means if you meet the minimum criteria you can get a job interview with the company and some have made no comment

I am unsure whether the times I have been to these training providers the advisors have mention to possibly employers on our behalf that their have mention our disabilities etc.

Even though mine is mild there is a lot of things I struggled with, mainly it is the speech issue (telephone, face to face) some people struggled to understand what I am saying and also takes a long time for me understand how to do something, even though all my jobs have been data entry, some of the systems have been complex to use.

[Tom fod]

I think the difficulty comes in terms of the (prospective) employer understanding what the disclosure of dyspraxia and what you and your dyspraxia should mean to them and their ability to understand your explanation of how you can perform in the role they want you to fill . If your self esteem and confidence are low and you hate interviews this is a horribly difficult and uncomfortable prospect.

The guaranteed interviews can be helpful in some employers are forward leaning and willing to give you a hearing (that you might not have got). However, you still need to be able to convince them that you can carry out the role they have in mind so that they feel content to pick you over other applicants.

It's a 'bit of a dance' in that you need to convince them you can be a valuable team member but also explain that you need them to make certain reasonable adjustments without causing them to 'take fright'. We have some great attributes like determination loyalty and a unique problem solving abilities but the difficulty is often convincing others of these qualities.

Disclosing is not a legal requirement yet an employer might in certain circumsatnces be able to use non disclosure as a reason for not keeping you on after a probationary period. It's all very confusing and worrisome if you think the way some of us typically do.

One would hope an employment agency would be more professional than say "well I'm sending X along, he/she is another dyspraxic one". It's more a case that an agency wants to send along people they believe can fulfil the role their client employer has, and as such they want to maintain the confidence of that employer as a client by sending/introducing suitable potential candidates.

The being sent home after 30 mins sounds like that employer may have been involved in some sort of fraud, if they were receiving payment per person placed.

[Captain_Ludd]

Personally I've always found honesty the best policy, I've found that trying to hide or ignore it tends to come back and bite you in the arse.
For the most part all my employers have been really supportive (apart form the usual repetition of "you mean Dyslexia ?" grrr...).
If you tell your employer and there not supportive I'd take it as big sign there probably not worth working for any how.