If you’re worried you might have dementia and are employed, it’s natural that you might feel nervous about the implications for you at work.
Your first step is to book a GP appointment to seek a diagnosis. Think of this as a positive step – once you know what you’re dealing with, you can make a decision on what to do about work.
If you are living with dementia, by letting work know you’re giving bosses the opportunity to make adjustments that might help you to keep working for longer. What’s more, if they refuse to do this, they could be breaking the law.
According to ACAS it’s likely that your employer will have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for you to continue to work.
You can find out more about this by calling the ACAS helpline on 0300 123 1100.
Helping your managers to understand the cause of any issues you might have been having will help them to help you make a plan for going forward.
If you do receive a dementia diagnosis and you inform your employer, it’s likely that they’re bound by law to make changes to your working conditions to help you to carry on working.
This might mean:Â
Allowing you to work from home
Reducing the hours or days you work
Moving your work space to a quieter area
Being given one job at a time
Adapting your role to reduce the complexity of tasks
Changing your role – i.e. if you drive for a living you could be moved to a non-driving role
Read your employment contract carefully so that you understand the terms of your employment – it might include information on disability or early retirement.
Seek advice on anything you don’t understand about your contract, employment terms and your position regarding your diagnosis (see ‘Who can help me?’)
Request a meeting with your employer and ask a trusted colleague, union representative or loved one to attend with you.
Take a list of the points you want to get across
It’s important not to be rushed into making any decisions on the spot. Take time to consider all your options and understand your financial and legal position before deciding what you’d like to do next.
If you feel forced to resign or pushed out of your job because of a dementia diagnosis, you could have grounds for unfair dismissal. Similarly, if your employer makes life very difficult for you so you feel forced to leave work, this might be constructive dismissal.Â
If you’re treated unfairly you might have grounds to challenge your employer – see ‘Who can help me?’ for a list of useful organisations.
If you receive a dementia diagnosis and find your employer is not very helpful after you inform them, you can seek further advice.
If you’re in a union, your union rep will be a good first port of call for help. You might have legal cover as part of a home insurance policy which means you can speak to a legal adviser for free.
Here’s a list of other organisations that can help:
Citizens Advice - 03444 111 444
Disability Law Service - 020 7791 9800
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service - (ACAS) 0300 123 1100
You might decide that you don’t want to carry on working. But before you decide about your job review your financial situation so you can make an informed decision about whether you want to/are able to keep working.
This might mean getting pensions advice, benefits information and talking to an independent financial adviser.