Quick answer: Working with epilepsy or a shunt is possible in most ordinary jobs, without restriction. You are generally not required to disclose unless the condition affects safety in your specific role. Disclosure does, however, unlock legal protection and the right to request reasonable adjustments.
Key Takeaways
- Most jobs are entirely compatible with epilepsy or a shunt.
- Disclosure is usually optional, but it is what triggers legal protection.
- Reasonable adjustments are a right in many countries, not a favour.
- Safety-critical and commercial driving roles are the main genuine restrictions.
- Telling one trusted colleague is a practical safety measure.
A man told me he sat on his epilepsy diagnosis for four months before telling anyone at work, running through worst-case scenarios every time his manager walked past his desk. He had heard, secondhand, about someone at a previous company who had been quietly moved off a project after disclosing a health condition, and he could not shake the fear that the same thing would happen to him.
Nothing forced his hand. He had not had a seizure at work, and might never have one. What eventually changed his mind was smaller and more practical than any legal argument: he realised that if something did happen, the people around him would have no idea what to do, and that frightened him more than the disclosure itself.
Do You Have to Tell Your Employer?
In most cases, no. There is generally no obligation to disclose a medical condition that does not affect your ability to do the job safely.
The exceptions are roles where a seizure would create genuine danger — operating heavy machinery, working at height, commercial driving, or some healthcare and armed service roles. Here disclosure is usually required.
However, disclosure works both ways. Without it, an employer has no obligation to make adjustments, and you may have less protection if difficulties arise later.
Working With Epilepsy: The Case For and Against Disclosing
Working with epilepsy openly at work is a genuine judgement call, and reasonable people decide differently.
- For: unlocks legal protection against discrimination
- For: allows you to request adjustments formally
- For: colleagues know what to do if a seizure happens at work
- For: removes the strain of concealment
- Against: risk of assumptions about capability, however unlawful
- Against: possible exclusion from opportunities in practice
- Against: it is personal information you are entitled to keep private
Adjustments Worth Requesting
Adjustments are usually small, cheap and specific. Framing them as practical rather than medical tends to work better.
- Flexible start times if medication causes morning drowsiness
- Time off for neurology appointments treated separately from sick leave
- A quiet space to recover after a seizure
- Avoiding night shifts, since sleep deprivation is a common seizure trigger
- Screen filters or breaks for photosensitivity
- Not being scheduled alone for safety-sensitive tasks
- Phased return after surgery or a shunt revision
Legal Protection in Broad Terms
Many countries treat epilepsy as a disability for legal purposes even when it is well controlled, which brings protection from discrimination and a right to reasonable adjustments.
The same generally applies to a shunt where it has a substantial long-term effect on daily activities. Notably, protection often applies based on the condition existing rather than on how severe it currently is.
Specific laws differ by country, so check your national provisions. The broad principle — that employers must not discriminate and should make reasonable adjustments — is widely shared.
Telling One Colleague Is a Practical Middle Ground
This is exactly the middle ground he eventually chose, without going anywhere near HR.
Many people who choose not to disclose formally still tell one trusted colleague.
That person knows what a seizure looks like, what to do, and who to call. It converts a frightening event into a managed one without involving HR or the whole team.
If you take this route, give them something written. In the moment, people forget verbal instructions.
What Working With Epilepsy Means for You
Working with epilepsy well means considering what your specific role actually requires rather than what the diagnosis sounds like. Most office, professional, retail and care roles carry no meaningful restriction.
If you are early in your career and your condition is well controlled, you may reasonably decide to say nothing. That is a legitimate choice, not a deception.
And if your work depends on a commercial driving licence, discuss that with your neurologist directly — it may genuinely affect treatment decisions and deserves an honest conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to tell my employer I have epilepsy?
Usually not, unless your role is safety-critical — such as operating machinery, working at height or commercial driving. However, disclosure is generally what triggers legal protection and the right to request reasonable adjustments.
Can I be fired for having epilepsy?
In most countries epilepsy is treated as a disability for legal purposes, making dismissal on those grounds unlawful. Employers are generally required to consider reasonable adjustments before concluding someone cannot do a role.
What workplace adjustments can I ask for with epilepsy?
Common adjustments include flexible start times, appointment leave separate from sick leave, a quiet recovery space, avoiding night shifts, screen filters for photosensitivity, and not being scheduled alone for safety-sensitive tasks.
Can you work with a VP shunt?
Yes. Most people with a shunt work without restriction, including in physically demanding roles. Jobs involving repeated head impact are worth discussing with a neurosurgeon, but a shunt itself rarely limits employment.
Should I tell colleagues about my epilepsy?
Telling one trusted colleague is a practical middle ground. They can respond appropriately if a seizure occurs without you needing to disclose formally to the whole workplace. Give them written instructions rather than only explaining verbally.
He told the colleague who sat next to him, gave her a short written note on what a seizure looks like and what to do, and left it there. He never formally disclosed to his manager. Nothing happened for the first year. When he did have a seizure at his desk eighteen months later, she knew exactly what to do, and he was back at work within the week, largely unbothered by his colleagues, most of whom never even heard about it.
If full disclosure feels like too large a step, it does not have to be all or nothing. One person, briefed properly, is often enough.
Related Reading
- Living With Epilepsy: Managing Seizures and Daily Life
- Driving With Epilepsy: Rules and Waiting Periods
- Living With a Brain Shunt: Work, Travel and Daily Life
Bibliography
- Epilepsy Foundation. Managing Your Child’s Epilepsy. Available at: epilepsy.com
- Hydrocephalus Association. Available at: hydroassoc.org
- WebMD. Caring for a Child With Epilepsy. Available at: webmd.com
