The decision to disclose to your current or prospective employer that you have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s is an important one. The decision is highly personal and will depend on your individual circumstances. Most important is that you are as comfortable as possible with your decision and understand your employer’s legal duties arising from disclosure of your disability. 

This information sheet provides you with information to assist you in deciding whether to disclose your diagnosis. This information sheet does not provide legal advice and cannot be used as any definitive statement of the law. In many circumstances, it may be necessary to seek legal advice about the issues raised below for your particular circumstances.

Why Disclose

As a result of your Parkinson’s, you may begin to experience certain physical, emotional or cognitive changes. Under human rights legislation, employers and prospective employers are prohibited from discriminating against an employee or candidate based on certain characteristics, including physical or mental disability. Parkinson’s is considered a disability and is a protected ground from employment discrimination. This means that if you do decide to disclose your diagnosis, your current employer may not treat you adversely because of your disability. If you require certain accommodations related to your disability, your employer has a duty to work with you to make those accommodations short of undue hardship. If you are applying for jobs, a prospective employer may not reject your application because of your disability. 

If you decide to disclose your diagnosis to your employer or prospective employer, you should understand that there are legal frameworks in place to protect you from discrimination.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Disclosing

When deciding whether to disclose, consider your immediate and long-terms goals and how they may be impacted by disclosure. If you need your employer to change some aspect of your job right away to allow you to continue working, you may decide to disclose. For example, you may find that your symptoms are worse later in the day. In consultation with your doctor, your doctor may recommend that you start work earlier in the morning. You may request that your employer modify your hours from 9 – 5 to 8 – 4. 

You will likely need to explain why you need this accommodation and your employer may request a doctor’s note as part of the accommodation process. 

If you do not require any accommodations in the near future, you may decide to wait to disclose. 

The following are some reasons why you may decide to disclose your Parkinson’s diagnosis:

• for peace of mind; as a precautionary measure if situations related to your Parkinson’s arise in the workplace; 
• to access accommodations; 
• and/or to inform your employer of their legal obligations and duties and avoid any adverse changes to your employment because of your diagnosis or a perceived disability.

Similarly, you may withhold your diagnosis because of:

• fear of discrimination or stigma; 
• the possibility an employer or prospective employer will focus on Parkinson’s and potential issues arising from it rather than your actual work performance; 
• a work situation in which there is no immediate need for accommodations; 
• or a desire to maintain your privacy.

Your Rights

Disclosing your diagnosis is your choice. You control when you disclose, who in your organization to disclose your diagnosis to, and how much information you disclose.

When

You may choose to disclose your diagnosis at any point you feel comfortable or when you need accommodations.

Who

You may prefer to disclose your diagnosis only to select individuals and colleagues. 

However, in order to inform your employer so they may accommodate your needs, you must disclose that you have Parkinson’s and your accommodation requirements to a representative of your employer (i.e. your supervisor, human resources manager), rather than just a mere colleague.

At first, you may decide to limit your disclosure to that one person and then work with that person to determine who else needs to find out about it, such as your supervisor, human resources manager and/or colleagues.

• If your employer has an equity advisor, you may consider speaking with that person. 
• Similarly, if you are represented by a union, you may benefit from discussing your situation with a union representative. 
• While these individuals must protect your privacy, be clear about who may be informed of your diagnosis so there are no misunderstandings. It is also important to consider how much information should or needs to be disclosed. For example, if your tremors get worse because of a certain trigger that requires accommodation, most people at work will only need to know that you need an accommodation (modified hours or job duties), not the reason you need the accommodation.

It is also important to keep in mind that others may notice your symptoms and may talk amongst themselves. You may decide to disclose your illness as a way of taking control of such situations by informing your colleagues about Parkinson’s and its impact on you.

What

You determine how much of your diagnosis you are comfortable disclosing. You do not necessarily have to share your diagnosis with your employer and may prefer to limit what you share to your specific symptoms, and what you need from your employer in order to minimize the impact of your symptoms on your work. 

Provided your employer is aware that you have a disability and understands your accommodation needs (changes required to do your job) your employer has a duty to accommodate you.

• Your employer may require information from a medical practitioner to confirm your need for an accommodation or to gather information about how best to accommodate you in specific circumstances. 
• Make sure that your medical practitioner is aware of your wishes regarding disclosure before they provide a medical note to or speak with your employer.

Consequences of Non-Disclosure

You may choose to disclose your diagnosis because there are certain consequences of non-disclosure. 

Accommodation: An employer has a duty to accommodate you, but that duty does not arise until you inform your employer of your need for accommodation. As an employee seeking accommodation, you have a corresponding duty to inform your employer. You should consider whether you need accommodations to your employment to allow you to do your job when deciding whether to give information to your employer about your diagnosis. 

Safety: Sometimes the symptoms of Parkinson’s can impact your ability to perform your job. Employers may require employees to disclose circumstances that will impact the employee’s ability to perform their jobs safely. If this applies to you, remember that your employer has a duty to accommodate you to the point of undue hardship so that you may continue working. 

Similarly, prospective employers interviewing for jobs that require certain abilities are entitled to ask interviewees questions related to the performance of those tasks. You should be prepared to answer those questions during interviews for relevant positions. A prospective employer cannot discriminate against you due to Parkinson’s unless the purpose of that requirement is related to the job and cannot be accommodated. However, if you are not comfortable answering the question, do not do so.

How to Do It

If you decide to disclose your diagnosis to your employer or to a prospective employer, it is important that you have a plan. Generally, stay positive and focus on your skills and qualifications rather than presenting your Parkinson’s as a weakness. It will also be helpful to:

• anticipate any concerns the employer may have and provide information, resources and strategies;
• explain why you decided to disclose your diagnosis;
• evaluate the barriers associated with Parkinson’s and then explain how your diagnosis may impact your capacity to work;
• identify and explain workplace accommodations that you may require;
• give examples of successful workplace adjustments with previous employers, if possible.

Conclusion

If you have any concerns about disclosure of your diagnosis, consider seeking professional legal advice to understand your rights. 

Parkinson Society British Columbia has partnered with the law firm Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP to provide people with Parkinson’s access to legal advice in appropriate cases. 

If you are a member of PSBC and would like more information, please contact info@parkinson.bc.ca

Prepared by Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. Last updated: October 8, 2025