Some pointers for talking to your employer about your headaches.
If you are a headache or migraine sufferer and have made the decision to discuss your medical condition with your employer, you may not know where to begin.
It’s ultimately your call on how — or even if — you want to talk to your boss about your condition, and you have no obligation to do so. However, if you decide this is a conversation you want to have, here are some pointers on how you could possibly approach this discussion.
Telling your boss about headaches or migraines at work can be stressful because “there can be a stigma attached to them,” says Lisa Brateman, LCSW, a psychotherapist and relationship specialist who practices in New York City. Her suggestions:
Leave Shame at the Door.
First things first: Don’t feel ashamed about your condition. “You can offer just as much as someone who doesn’t suffer from headaches or migraines,” she says.
Decide How Much Advance Warning Is Necessary.
You might think through how often you get headaches or migraines and when they are debilitating. Does your boss need advance warning? Possibly, if you get headaches often, says Brateman: “You want to warn them so that if you start calling in sick or not following through, you don’t have to backtrack and say, ‘This is why.’”
