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I found this site the other day due to their show being aired on a PBS fundraiser. I was diagnosed with ADD (Inattentive) 10 years ago. Fast forward to 2011. I found a job doing cutting edge IT work. I was so excited (plus, I’d been unemployed for 18 months prior). I thought, “this time it’ll be different.” So, I decided that to be different, I had to act different. So, I told my new boss about my diagnosis. That was my undoing.
No attempt at accommodations were made. Three months later, I was called into my boss’ office. Without warning, without explanation, without any indication that anything was amiss, I was told that, “I didn’t get it and I never will.” With that, I was fired. “Get what?”, I asked. I was dismissed with no further explanation.
Later, I spoke with a friend who retired as a very high-powered HR executive in the auto industry. She explained that under no circumstances should I ever do that again. Once I told my boss, I became an identified liability. It made perfect sense to her that since the company was in the process of trying to impress buyers, they needed to make themselves look more profitable. Laying off staff is the quickest way to achieve this. And, voila, I was the identified target.
I can’t speak for everyone. Others obviously have had better outcomes. For me, it was one of the most traumatizing firings I’ve ever experienced.
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