Hi All... just doing a bit of research into the barriers to employment that people with Parkinson's, Parkinsonism's face when applying for work.... if you could assist me in my request it would be appreciated.
Hi, I'm currently trying to keep my job and I suspect that the barriers to staying in employment are similar to the barriers to getting employment.
Firstly, employers think that pwp are going to be expensive. I know that my employers are planning to take a fairly aggressive stance on absence in order to save money (and they think I'm going to need significant amounts of time off in the future); I also can't imagine that they are thrilled at the possibility of ill health retirement and they have already dragged their heels on reasonable adjustments that cost money. Linked to this, managing pwp in the workplace can take time as their symptoms progress ( more cost implications)
Secondly, pwp don't look 'right' - my job is public facing and I don't think that my employers think that Parkinson's symptoms go down well with the public - and sadly, I have to agree.
Also, I think there is a degree of doubt as to our ability to actually to perform well enough in any given job anyway!
I'm sure that others have had very different experiences but personally, I'd say that concerns about expense and appearance rate pretty highly as barriers to employment. Hmmm, a guaranteed anonymous questionnaire to employers might shed more light if they were willing to be honest. Too tricky to organise sadly ....
J
Hi Jackson,
Thanks for your response as this is exactly the type of information I need, the barriers you encounter whilst working are just as important as the ones you find when applying for work.
I've encountered many barriers as my tremors have got worse, I have even got letters from Consultants to say I'm not a alcoholic because people have used my disability against me for their own gain, I can't put into words how this has affected my confidence over the years.
I'm looking to do something with the DWP as there is a window of opportunity, contacting Employers will be a part of that process of putting a scheme together, if we know the pitfalls you can explain them to the employer. Your idea for a questionnaire is a good one so if you'd like to offer some questions that I could ask it would be appreciated.
I did ask Parkinson's for assistance and they directed me to this forum as a means of a resource, hope more will come forward with ideas... as with most problems you have to find the solution, we can all but try.