Applying with a Disability: Rights, IV Support, Wording

The Disability Discrimination Act (BehiG) prohibits discrimination in recruitment in the public sector and at private employers that carry out public contracts. For everyone else the rule is: employment law knows no general duty to disclose your state of health.

• No obligation to disclose: you do not have to mention a disability during the application process.
• Exception: if the limitation makes the agreed work objectively impossible or poses a danger to third parties, you may be asked about it.
• Inadmissible questions: questions about HIV, pregnancy, psychiatric diagnoses or an IV pension are generally inadmissible.
• Consequences: false answers to inadmissible questions do not entitle the employer to terminate the contract.

The practical rule of thumb: anything that will be visible in everyday working life anyway should be addressed – with a solution in the same sentence. Anything that stays invisible and does not affect the work need not be raised.

• Visible (wheelchair, visual impairment, prosthesis): name it briefly in the cover letter or in the interview, together with a note on how you work.
• Invisible and relevant (chronic illness, hearing impairment, ADHD): raise it only in the interview or after the offer – unless the job absolutely requires adjustments.
• Invisible and irrelevant: do not mention it. A dossier is a record of performance, not a medical file.

Important: if you need adjustments (step-free access, special software, more flexible breaks), you have to clarify them before the contract is signed – afterwards the room for manoeuvre is smaller.

One sentence is enough if it contains three things: the fact, the consequence for the work and your solution.

• Wheelchair example: “I use a wheelchair. For office work and on-site client meetings I need step-free access – in my last position I planned the field appointments accordingly.”
• Hearing impairment example: “I wear hearing aids and work well in quiet meetings; for conference calls I use a text relay service.”
• Chronic illness example: “Because of a chronic condition I work at a reduced 80 percent – my output per hour matches my earlier volume.”

Avoid justifications and superlatives (“fully fit despite my disability”). Being matter-of-fact is more convincing than assurances.

The invalidity insurance supports not only you but also the employer – that is a strong argument in the conversation.

• Work trial: a fixed-term placement with IV involvement in which the employer carries no wage risk.
• Workplace adjustment: contributions towards aids, conversions or special software.
• Wage cost contributions: subsidies where capacity is reduced.
• Early intervention: advice and support before a pension becomes an issue.

In practice this means: you do not have to apply for these benefits yourself – but you should know them and be able to name them in the interview. The IV office of your canton is responsible.

Many hurdles are organisational rather than professional. Clarify them early and in writing.

• Access: is the building step-free? Is there a lift, a ramp, accessible toilets?
• Format of the interview: is an online interview possible if travelling would be disproportionate?
• Tests and assessments: ask for more time or a different format if needed – that is permissible and rarely refused.
• References: ask former supervisors whether they will comment on your reliability – not on diagnoses.

If an employer refuses an adjustment that would be reasonable, that is a signal – and not only for this particular vacancy.

The CV remains a performance document. Three rules:

• No diagnoses: the CV lists roles, results and skills – no medical details.
• Explain gaps: rehabilitation or hospital stays can be described as “a health-related break with subsequent reintegration”.
• References: make sure references assess your performance, not your health. Wording such as “frequently absent for health reasons” is permissible, but can be checked.

Anyone who clearly documents their own performance in the dossier – figures, projects, responsibility – shifts the conversation from the limitation to the qualification.