The following information is only relevant if you live in the UK. If you live outside the UK, you can find out about the driving law in your country by contacting your your local epilepsy group.

• Getting a job
• Help in the work place
• Telling employers about your epilepsy

Getting a job

Many people with epilepsy work, and most jobs are open to people with epilepsy. In the UK the Disability Discrimination Act means that people with epilepsy can apply for any job except with the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

Employers can’t refuse to employ you just because you have epilepsy. If you apply for a job, the employer has to look at your application on an individual basis and consider your skills and qualifications. They may also need to know about your seizures and if the seizures could affect you when you’re working.

Employers also have to consider health and safety. This is especially important in jobs that involve being responsible for the safety of others, such as nursing or teaching. Employers have to consider whether your safety or other people's safety would be at risk if you had a seizure at work. This means that health regulations may apply to certain jobs and careers. For example, you may be required to have been seizure free for a set period of time before applying for a post or training.
The Disability Employment Advisor at your local Jobcentre can give you advice about careers and job hunting.  

Connexions advisers can also give career help and advice.

Help in the work place

Once you have a job, the Disability Discrimination Act means that employers have to make any reasonable adjustments (changes) that may help you. They can only help you if they know that you have epilepsy.

Here are some examples of reasonable adjustments, if you have epilepsy.

• If you usually have seizures first thing in the morning, a reasonable adjustment may be to let you start and finish work later than other employees. This would be as long as the workplace was open during those hours.
• If your seizures aren’t controlled, your employer could make sure that you do not work alone. This would mean that a colleague could help you, if you needed it.

Telling employers about your epilepsy

You don’t have to tell an employer about your epilepsy, if you don’t feel it’s relevant to the job. So, if your epilepsy is well controlled, and won’t affect your ability to do your job safely and effectively, you might choose not to tell them.

It’s worth remembering that if your employer doesn’t know about your epilepsy, they wouldn’t be able to make any changes to your job or workplace, to help you.

If your epilepsy could affect your ability to do the job safely, you do have to tell an employer about it.

If you don’t tell an employer about your epilepsy when you start a job, you can change your mind and tell them at any time in the future.

• More information about telling employers about your epilepsy
• More information about epilepsy and employment

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