Is it legal for a prospective employer to ask about my health, particularly history of major sickness. Cancer?
Do I have to reveal the fact that I have had cancer on job application forms? I am totally clear now. Is it even legal for them to ask?
Of course it’s legal for them to ask. Most employers ask things like this as standard, it’s not like they’re picking on you.
You obviously cannot lie on a job application if you don’t want to face being sacked when they found out that you lied. So, you can either disclose it, or you can simply refuse to answer the question. Of course, if you refuse to answer, they will immediately view that as suspicious.
I work in HR and I have recently had a situation with an employee who did not disclose an illness on her application form even though the question was explicitly asked, believing that the illness was now over. However, two months into her employment, the illness recurred and she needed to take substantial time off. My employer is normally very understanding of illnesses and will allow people to take as much time off as they need, but the problem in this case was that the employee was seen to have lied by not disclosing the illness … so of course they were less than sympathetic.
Be aware that dislosing information such as this will not automatically preclude you from getting the job. The employer just wants to be aware.
Workplace Health and Safety History, to the 1920s
