7.14.2005

"Sorry, We Can't Hire You."

There was this one time when I really thought I wasn't going to be employable just because I had SLE.

It was when I was applying for a position in this telecommunications company.  I was in an auditing firm then and, like others who just gave audit a try but didn't like it, I was looking for another job.  The interviews and exams with the company's recruitment office all went well.  It came to a point where all that was left was the pre-employment medical examination.  And it was all it took to negate my chances for the job.  Just because I specified I had SLE in the patient information form.  The doctor was cold and blunt.  He just confirmed if I had SLE and then said, "Sorry, we can't hire you.".  It's not their policyto employ people with a condition such as mine.  It was a pretty hurtful experience for someone who's barely one year-old in the corporate world.

After that, there was always that nagging fear at the back of my mind that I won't be able to get a good job because I had SLE.  I could choose to not disclose it, but I still wrote it down everytime lest I be accused of hiding pertinent information.  Luckily enough, it didn't matter in my second job, or third job.  I'm now about to start on my fourth job where my having SLE somehow mattered.  The recruitment team wanted me to consult with their recommended rheumatologist.  They later changed their minds when they realized I had my own rheumatologist and they just asked for a medical certificate, which I secured immediately.  The doctors at the company clinic raised the hurdle a bit when I submitted the certificate.  They want my doctor to issue a medical certificate saying that I'm fit to work everytimeI go for check-ups.  I've every intention of complying.

I still believe having SLE shouldn't be that big a factor when deciding whether to hire or not hire somebody, as long as they're competent and fits the job well.  But then again it's their company and I'm jut trying to find a decent way to earn a buck.

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