Do I say to HR about my diagnosis?

[Cailte50]

Hi,Ive only recently joined as I was only diagnosed,last week,and really struggling with the result.

I work in a very busy office but I am fine as Ive been doing the same work for 9 years and have good managers.However, because Ive been doing this job for so long,I am very vulnerable to being moved to an area that is so completely different to what I do now(and is the main reason I went and got assessed so that I could use the diagnosis to ensure I get put doing similar work again).

I rely very much on my gut instincts and mine are telling me to say nothing in work itself,to anyone,unless HR contact my managers about a move.The other issue is,I don't trust HR to be ok with me if I did ever disclose. There is a new Disability Officer there and he seems ok-my instinct is to ask him discretely about disclosure and not say its me.

Sorry if this all sounds so complicated,just Ive heard of things over the years,where I work, that make me ultra cautious.

[Tom fod]

Hi and welcome

Everything with Dyspraxia has a tendency to be complex/complicated. You're not obliged to inform your manager and/or HR but you might benefit from having that conversation. The prospect is still terrifying and our getting our words out right and making the impact we want to is something we all worry about.


It's great that you seem to be settled/happy in your current role. Do you have info to suggest reassignment might be imminent (forhcoming reorganisation?) or do you feel under pressure to put yourself forward for promotion, possibly into a role or situation where you'd quickly feel out of your depth?

[Cailte50]

Thanks,Tom,for this.Re promotion,I never go for it and it does get questioned but my reasons(happy at my level,not for me etc) are accepted,the inference always is that I would be more than capable,just I know I wouldnt(a lot of meetings,more pressure with work etc).

I could get moved purely because I am there so long.The only reason I havent been is because the work itself is tedious and a lot of it and wouldn't appeal to people looking to move into that area.It suits me very well because of its structure and short term pressures with it as opposed to having very long deadlines but more complex,in a different office.

[Tom fod]

You're welcome,
With more money comes more responsibility and potentially more difficult problems. been with my employer about 20 years now and not really wanted to climb greasy pole as it would mean having stress of having to manage other people. I'd rather not.

Might be worth putting it on record with HR if your employer are serious and forward leaning in terms of their disability/neurodiversity policy. You would hope the fact that you're a solid performer and good at your role should be reason enough to let you continue where you're both effective and content to be. The caveat of what the business needs can override what staff need/want and at a previous employer they seemed to decide staff moves with little if any consultation with the staff members.

Remember too that your diagnosis is just as much to help you try to make sense of your own self and how you approach and perceive things. There's no typical dyspraxic mould for people with the condition and we've all trodden different paths and have different strengths and coping strategies. sometimes the imposition of organisational change can pull the carpet out from under our feet and we then have to re-jig those coping strategies and management often can't really comprehend that. Dyspraxia often seems to conspire to create uncertainty so we understandably want to stay with things where we have proven ability and some degree of certainty and routine. Some managers and colleagues are good and accept us for what we can contribute and will do what they can to enable/develop us and build us up. Others are somewhat more challenging.