Employers should know about young onset Parkinson’s, and that it can be a changing condition daily. I am currently working, and I have been working with young onset Parkinson’s for 5 years. I feel supported by my employer/co-workers.
The most debilitating issues with regards to my working capacity are slowness of movement, fatigue/lack of sleep and muscle stiffness/rigidity. The particular time of the work day that I find more difficult than other times is mid morning. Strategies or techniques that could be helpful to support me to stay in the workforce longer include flexibility to work around fluctuating symptoms and working from home. A formal process was undertaken to determine my work capacity and support requirements. Regarding my thoughts on disclosure of young onset Parkinson’s to your employer, yes I feel it better assists the employer to provide earlier support.
I did seek advice about my rights as an employee.
