Should I tell my employer, line manager or work colleagues?

Telling your manager and work colleagues about your illness is a personal decision, but you have to ensure you remain within the law and your contract of employment.

If, for example, your employer specifically asks about any illnesses then you should disclose if you have a diagnosis of bipolar.

Bipolar is covered by the Equality Act (2010) which allows you to ask for reasonable adjustments in the work place that help support any disadvantage you might be experiencing. If you do not tell your manager, you cannot expect your employer to make reasonable adjustments.

Download our guides

Bipolar UK produces two employment guides for employees and employers which can be downloaded for free

What reasonable adjustments can I ask for?

When considering reasonable adjustments to ask for you need to think about what triggers an episode of bipolar in the work place and how you and your company might consider changing that particular situation to avoid an episode.

The adjustments need to take away the disadvantage you are facing and be of benefit to you. Our employment guides provide useful advice in this regard.