Should i declare an upcoming operation at a job interview?

[MontyVeda]

I'm currently looking for another job, and I'm also waiting for a hernia operation.

Would i be obliged to tell a prospective employer that A; i have a hernia and B; the op is likely to be in the next few months?

I believe in honesty and openness but I also believe that such information would jeopardise my chances of success.

What do you all reckon?

 

[Adam4868]

Personally I'd wait until I got the job or at least offered it.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Wot @Adam4868 says. I don't think you should let it bother you unless you get an offer, and then you might want to consider it.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

As soon as you get the offer, tell them. Imagine if it was your business.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Bear in mind that there might be a probationary period before all of your employment rights kick in fully (I'm pretty ignorant of this so find someone who isn't) and it might be that if you were to accept an offer, then disclose your position, they might be in a position to reply "oops, you did not pass your probationary period. Bye".

But all this is moot until an offer appears.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Does the job include manual work that will be impacted by the hernia? if not, as a prospective employer I wouldn't be bothered, but I would prefer to know at the interview stage, purely because it shows you are being open and honest with me.

I'd be interested to know how long you would be expecting to be off work, I'd let you know that under our rules you wouldn't get occupational sick pay, but it wouldn't stop me offering you the job.

If you genuinely think it would harm your chances, then keep stum until you are offered a position, but a decent employer will not hold it against you, finding good staff is bloody hard and a bit of inconvenience at the beginning is nothing for getting the right person.

 

[Drago]

Openness and honesty are all the rage these days.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

When I was part of the interview panel for a big company we were told how to respond to this

The main point was that we were recruiting someone , hopefully, for a significant number of years
there a situation where they have a longer than usual period after the resign from their current job
or, as here, they will have to have a week or so off or on light duties, shortly after they start

are pretty irrelevant
and agreeing to it easily creates a good impression of their new company when they start which can be worth a lot

other companies had different concepts of how to treat employees - including (to my shock!) a lot of schools!
(note - not ones I worked in but I would certainly include the one my daughter was a pupil in - the Head is currently in jail!!)

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I wouldn't disclose this info at the interview stage, what if you don't get the job?
You would have told them your personal business for nothing!
Ops can be routinely postponed, even more than once: you might not get your op for another good few months.