Should You Tell a Prospective Employer About Your Caregiving Responsibilities?

Unpredictable caregiving responsibilities can be challenging enough when you’re in a job you know and like, but what about when you’re ready to make a change? Deciding whether to disclose caregiving responsibilities during your job hunt is ultimately a judgment call with risks on either side.  In making your decision, start by considering your current needs. Which of your responsibilities are fixed, flexible, or unknown? And is the condition of the person you’re caring for permanent, progressing, or intermittent? Once you know your needs, you can compare them against job descriptions you’re interested in. Once you’ve found a potential match, educate yourself about the company culture. You’ll want to both understand formal benefits, but also the intangibles, such as how important face time is or how supportive the company is of family needs. Finally, you’ll want to be really clear on your manager’s expectations, because your direct boss will have the biggest impact on your core working experience.