Taking time out for personal reasons-CV

Gael23

Ive come to the end of my contract just recently. However I’m currently experiencing some health issues, nothing too serious but for the next month or two I’m going to be back and forth to doctors quite a bit until we get medication sorted and so on.

My question is if I was to take a few months out until all of this is dealt with, would it cause me issues with getting a job as there is a gap in my CV?
This will be fixed so I’m not worried about ongoing implications but I just don’t want to be asking for time off to attend appointments when I’ve only just started in a new job. But for the reason above I’m concerned it might some back to haunt me in the future.
So just looking for some advice really.

Berserker

Absolutely not. I've taken a few months off for health reasons myself and I've also dealt with candidates who had to take time off. I'd steer clear of any employer who did make raise it as an issue, to be brutally honest with you. On interviewing for your next role, tell them that you needed to take some time off for medical reasons. Any decent person or manager, will ask you if everything is a sorted now and make nothing more of it.

Gael23

But if I say I have an illness will that not be an instant black mark against me as they will question my reliability and so on?

dragonfly!

Gael23 wrote: »

But if I say I have an illness will that not be an instant black mark against me as they will question my reliability and so on?

Not if its being treated and sorted?

dragonfly!

The job I am in at present we have a lot of applications with gaps on them
We ask at the phone screening why - anything like you have is fine its literally a tick on the form to say gap explained

Berserker

Gael23 wrote: »

But if I say I have an illness will that not be an instant black mark against me as they will question my reliability and so on?

Because you were sick? People get sick and it's unfortunate. Anyone who punishes a person for being sick to that point that they need to take a significant period of time off isn't worth working with.

dragonfly! wrote: »

The job I am in at present we have a lot of applications with gaps on them
We ask at the phone screening why - anything like you have is fine its literally a tick on the form to say gap explained

Yes and your situation would be more of the same. If they were taking a day off every week or so, individual days I mean, that's be a different story.

Gael23

dragonfly! wrote: »

Not if its being treated and sorted?

Will be treated yes but it’s going to mean follow ups a few times a year permanently. How many times I don’t know yet but there’s 3 doctors involved in it and say they each need to see me twice a year potentially.

I’ve no problem once everything is signed and sealed disclosing my condition, there are things an employer will need to know from a health & safety perspective anyway.

Berserker

Gael23 wrote: »

Will be treated yes but it’s going to mean follow ups a few times a year permanently. How many times I don’t know yet but there’s 3 doctors involved in it and say they each need to see me twice a year potentially.

I’ve no problem once everything is signed and sealed disclosing my condition, there are things an employer will need to know from a health & safety perspective anyway.

That's six hospital appointments over the course of the year. Hardly the end of the world. I'd outline that at the interview stage.

368100

Gael23 wrote: »

But if I say I have an illness will that not be an instant black mark against me as they will question my reliability and so on?

Better to take your own time to get to get it sorted than go into a new job and then go off sick. Any employer with a bit of sense would see that

drunkmonkey

Berserker wrote: »

Absolutely not. I've taken a few months off for health reasons myself and I've also dealt with candidates who had to take time off. I'd steer clear of any employer who did make raise it as an issue, to be brutally honest with you. On interviewing for your next role, tell them that you needed to take some time off for medical reasons. Any decent person or manager, will ask you if everything is a sorted now and make nothing more of it.

True but when left with 2 candidates everything being equal they'll probably pick the healthy one.

If this is an ongoing health issue there's benefits for employers to take on someone who can't work at full capacity or requires time off. It's worth checking out if you qualify for it and let any potential employer know at the interview.

3mts off wouldn't be something would really raise an eyebrow.

Berserker

drunkmonkey wrote: »

3mts off wouldn't be something would really raise an eyebrow.

For a health issues? That's no time. I've had work colleagues with heart problems and another person who was involved in a domestic accident and suffered serious burns. All three of them needed more than three months off. Can't see the issue with it myself.

LincolnHawk

I wouldn't highlight health issues if I could get away with it to be honest.
It's naive to think it won't go against you.
You don't need to give a detailed reason, loads of people take time off between contracts when they get the chance. Travel, R and R, whatever.

drunkmonkey

Berserker wrote: »

For a health issues? That's no time. I've had work colleagues with heart problems and another person who was involved in a domestic accident and suffered serious burns. All three of them needed more than three months off. Can't see the issue with it myself.

Large company/corporate no issue a smaller business might struggle. The scheme I referred to is suitable for hearth problems etc returning to work.
3mts is nothing though as long as there honest about ongoing needs.

Gael23

I’m aware of that scheme. It’s capped at 20 hours work per week I think. I’ve looked into it before and I know I qualify.
I think disclosing it at interviews would come across wrong because your effectively saying I warn you to give me a job but I can’t do x and y. Maybe that’s the wrong perspective but just my own thought.

I’m back with my consultant in Thursday and I’m going to discus what else he needs to do and then get a clearer picture. I don’t want anything to be done too soon after I start either. I’m guessing minimum 6 times a year once I’m up and running on new medication, that would be everything going well though. Something like this happened 3 years ago and it was between my degree and masters so it was easy enough to deal with.

drunkmonkey

They'll help you get a job, they call around to employers that your skills would suit, might be worth talking to who ever is running it locally and get their 2 cent over a coffee and see what you should do and have they any suitable jobs.
They employer gets a subsidy for their flexibility. It's a win for everyone.
One thing it will do is cut out any worry about what your employer is going to think or do while your looking after yourself.

Gael23

drunkmonkey wrote: »

They'll help you get a job, they call around to employers that your skills would suit, might be worth talking to who ever is running it locally and get their 2 cent over a coffee and see what you should do and have they any suitable jobs.
They employer gets a subsidy for their flexibility. It's a win for everyone.
One thing it will do is cut out any worry about what your employer is going to think or do while your looking after yourself.

Are you talking about the employability service? The WSS scheme is a separate thing

OldMrBrennan83

Gael23 wrote: »

But if I say I have an illness will that not be an instant black mark against me as they will question my reliability and so on?

It shouldn't, but in reality it will. I'd just say you went travelling.

drunkmonkey

Gael23 wrote: »

Are you talking about the employability service? The WSS scheme is a separate thing

The WSS i've employed someone under it found it brilliant.

Gael23

drunkmonkey wrote: »

The WSS i've employed someone under it found it brilliant.

Sorry for the late reply. With the WSS employers need up provide documents including confirmation of tax compliance and Ive heard stories from my employability job coach that some employers are reluctant to provide that. On the surface though WSS sounds great.

drunkmonkey

It's just a tax clearance certificate there should be no problems in an employer producing one, it's not something you should worry about. I've had to produce it a few times this year for different things.