Occupational health for a job , what is asked?

Haatchi · Post by **Haatchi** » Sun Jun 30, 2013 10:39 pm

I am looking for work in the care type sector, have completed some voluntary placement. The person training me(he was from a tropical country and had worked in a refugee camp there as a volunteer) has told me that before one can start a paid job in this field in Finland they have to undergo extensive fitness testing including treadmill session and all that. I have contacted the occupational health people and the advisor there said that it depends on the history (childhood immunisations and recent travel eg) and in my case (born in Central Europe, all immunisations and never travelled to high risk areas) would not need extensive tests, in the case of the guy in the home it was because of his front-line work in a refugee camp where it can be easy to pick something especially TB hence the treadmill).

I am a female of the age where many Western women are taking 'hormone' medication and I don't use it. I am worried that if I apply for such a job the medical people will ask me if I take hormone meds, and if I say no will make it a reason to declare me unfit for work. I come from a culture where taking this kind of medication is a 'no-no' as women past the age of marriage and children are expected to put others (ageing parents, kids, grandkids, the community) first and not 'enjoy themselves' as it would reflect badly on the family. I cannot see myself how use of this medication will help one in a caring job, but i feel nervous just applying for any position where a health cert is needed. Has anyone had the occupational health check and can tell me if I have a reason to worry?

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Adrian42 · Post by **Adrian42** » Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:13 pm

Haatchi wrote:I have contacted the occupational health people and the advisor there said that it depends on the history

I am a female of the age where many Western women are taking 'hormone' medication and I don't use it. I am worried that if I apply for such a job the medical people will ask me if I take hormone meds, and if I say no will make it a reason to declare me unfit for work.

I come from a culture where taking this kind of medication is a 'no-no' as women past the age of marriage and children are expected to put others (ageing parents, kids, grandkids, the community) first and not 'enjoy themselves' as it would reflect badly on the family. I cannot see myself how use of this medication will help one in a caring job

When a woman has night sweat and does often not sleep properly at night, or when she frequently has migraine, then that definitely affects her performance in any job or task.
When you are lucky to not have such symptoms, then the situation is different.

For many of the longterm effects of Hormone replacement therapy the summary of the positive and negative effects is mixed and whether or not it is a net benefit is unclear.

When you don't have any symptoms that affect your work, then I don't see why that could possibly be relevant for assessing whether or not you are fit for the job.
But for a definite answer, why don't you just contact the advisor you already had contact with?

Haatchi · Post by **Haatchi** » Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:34 pm

thank you for your reply Adrian, for the record I have none of the symptoms or any like and I'm sure any person who has health issues so bad that they affect their work performance in the long term would seek medical advice and maybe even go 'on the sick' until issues are resolved , this country has a sick benefit system meaning someone can survive on it so is not forced to go to work, no one really suffering would go and seek new employment if poverty is no issue. But it seems they only judge people by their date of birth in this country and don't care about the individual circumstances.

I have thinning dry hair and look older than my years but that is not an illness and most jobs are not a beauty contest, also they don't know me from before and some people always look older and have dry hair. I''m not vain and don't want to stuff myself with chemicals if i don't need to, i know someone who took this rubbish for 3 yrs as she had a young bf , now she has had several ministrokes and cannot prepare her own meals anymore as she has blackouts and moves slow, she has now to live with some widow who gets paid by some charity until a sheltered flat is avail (lives in the uk, her life gone at 52).

I don't even want to answer the question if i have still got this and that face-to-face (here I'm anonymous behind a PC), its shame in my culture and even if my life depended on it I'd try to find an alternative (does not exist in many countries and people there do cope), I don't even want the examiner to start talking about this subject.

The person I spoke to before said that they are only interested in conditions which can affect the people in one's care (such as any contagious blood borne or airborne or skin organism) drug or alcohol use (in case one comes on duty under influence) recent food poisoning or any longterm thing that could be triggered by quick movement (where there could be insurance claim) anything that cannot affect any other party is not of interest. I'm sure that it is none of the employer's business if I can still turn men's heads or not, this is NOT part of the job.

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:43 pm

Haatchi wrote: I come from a culture where taking this kind of medication is a 'no-no' as women past the age of marriage and children are expected to put others (ageing parents, kids, grandkids, the community) first and not 'enjoy themselves' as it would reflect badly on the family.

You moved to finland by your free will and actively choose finnish culture over yours, your culture is irrelevant here. Dont use backward "culture" as excuse to do stupid things, you are still woman and you deserve to enjoy your life and if hormones help then go for it. You dont need to be miserable just because "culture" says so.

Haatchi · Post by **Haatchi** » Mon Jul 01, 2013 12:06 am

yes , actually I was born in Europe, but regardless...I don't want to take chemicals as I said I don't have any problems and I'm fit and capable, more than 20 yrs off current retirement age in Finland of course I want to work. Not everyone wants a certain kind of lifestyle, and not everyone sees looks as very important.

I'm trying to say that being healthy and fit for a job should not depend on if one takes this rubbish or not. I don't have a need for it and don't want to be judged as 'not normal' If anything if I was looking to hire someone for a caring or food service job, then a person who comes over as overtly made up and provocative in appearance would be the last one I would choose. and in such place you have to have short unpainted nails and tied back hair anyway so why take some poison in order to have glossy hair and nails???

I do not want any more 'adventures' just a quiet life with my family I already have got.

Adrian42 · Post by **Adrian42** » Mon Jul 01, 2013 12:13 am

Haatchi wrote:i know someone who took this rubbish for 3 yrs as she had a young bf , now she has had several ministrokes and cannot prepare her own meals anymore as she has blackouts and moves slow, she has now to live with some widow who gets paid by some charity until a sheltered flat is avail (lives in the uk, her life gone at 52).

Sounds more like coincidence to me, not necessarily like being related to what she took (even a little child can have a stroke - that's nothing that is limited to older people).

(I fully respect your decision not to take hormones and don't want to convince you to change it, but I'd question whether the ministrokes of that woman are really related to the hormones.)

Haatchi wrote:The person I spoke to before said that they are only interested in conditions which can affect the people in one's care (such as any contagious blood borne or airborne or skin organism) drug or alcohol use (in case one comes on duty under influence) recent food poisoning or any longterm thing that could be triggered by quick movement (where there could be insurance claim) anything that cannot affect any other party is not of interest. I'm sure that it is none of the employer's business if I can still turn men's heads or not, this is NOT part of the job.

That makes my wonder why you are concerned in the first place that not taking hormones might be relevant.

Haatchi · Post by **Haatchi** » Mon Jul 01, 2013 12:56 am

seems to me that Everyone over the age of 42 is on them, and that they might think that I have weak bones as a result of not taking them and therefore no good in a job or have less energy and that it will affect my performance. Maybe they expect any female over 40 to be on it and have lots and lots of energy and go out with 'the girls' after work and guzzle the wine and pull some different 20something guy every night...I'm very settled and family orientated and don't even drink alcohol...my youngest is SEN and will need me for as long as I live and I've no interest to bring anyone into his life for a short time ever. Getting back to the lady i know, she was never particularly energetic or younger looking whilst on the hormones, she just had a huge appetite and went up 4 dress sizes and had terrible mood swings. It was bad luck about the mini-strokes and yes they can happen to anyone, still why take chemicals if not needed....and cost the health service money.

I don't know but maybe there are Finnish and other Europeans from normal families who don't want to take the rubbish either.

Adrian42 · Post by **Adrian42** » Mon Jul 01, 2013 1:35 am

Haatchi wrote:I don't know but maybe there are Finnish and other Europeans from normal families who don't want to take the rubbish either.

Rubbish is a strong and misleading word.

The British NHS has a more balanced view on it:

Most experts agree if HRT is used on a short-term basis (no more than five years), the benefits outweigh the risks.

If HRT is taken for longer, particularly for more than 10 years, you should discuss your individual risks with your GP and review them on an annual basis.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hormone-re ... ction.aspx

Haatchi wrote:seems to me that Everyone over the age of 42 is on them

You are completely wrong with that:

In the UK, use of HRT peaked in 2000-01, when approximately 25% of women aged 45-69 were using it. The percentage had fallen to half that by 2006.

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer- ... -in-the-uk

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Mon Jul 01, 2013 11:42 am

OP, why waste your life worrying about things in the unlikely case that they might in the possible future possibly become a problem? You´re making assumptions and building a whole scenario of problems without reason. Relax and see what happens and deal with things when you need to.

Haatchi · Post by **Haatchi** » Mon Jul 01, 2013 1:25 pm

Hei thank you for your great replies and putting my mind at rest...
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Poster from Canada, you are not offending me in the slightest...I'm relieved to hear that not everyone is on these meds...I have met a few people who were but none of them actually were economically active or particular energetic...

I'm 44 and have dry thinning hair but I have had androgen problems (hormone imbalances all my life), by age 7 I had facial hair and had to wash my head hair daily as it gets so greasy and that is maybe the reason its thinning, and I 'm doing one off work at the moment and cannot afford a decent cut so it looks worse...I have no physical problems but I've never been the dressy uppy, super feminine type either, but surely I'm not the only one , and I 'm not looking for a job as a hair model. I know that in food service/care/domestic jobs uniform is provided and what i've seen so far its most likely they are in the most popular size ie to fit all, and with that style of uniform everyone will look 'thick waisted' anyway so who cares if one has a slim waist (I'm square-ish built ).
I have had an awful experience with the housing people here in Helsinki this is why I'm worried so much, before I moved into my house there had been a young male South Asian student staying for a while and then moved out without informing Maistratti, I didn't know and the lady goes on the computer and sees the kid's details still there and sees his DOB and mine, and she starts on about 'going into a womens' hostel' and 'unsuitable relationship' and 'enhanced support needs' ' you must be lonely at your age' and 'does he abuse you?' and I had no clue what was going on until someone explained...the lady had thought I was living with that young boy- I was shocked and humiliated -.

Poster from Norway- thank you for your advice and if you think i'm worrying too much I'll just start applying and maybe no one will ask...

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Mon Jul 01, 2013 1:38 pm

if you think i'm worrying too much I'll just start applying and maybe no one will ask...

As another female with a tendency to worry about things just in case, I understand you. But I've learnt more and more that worrying too much means a lower quality of life and there's no energy left to just enjoy life and worry about the things that matter.

Good luck, hope you get the job without problems!

CH · Post by CH » Mon Jul 01, 2013 1:50 pm

Haatchi wrote:I'll just start applying and maybe no one will ask...

Even if they ask, and they won't (well, other than "Are you taking any perscription drugs?"), it has absolutely no bearing on your occupational health if you are or aren't taking replacement hormones, in itself, so there is absolutely no reason to declare you medically unfit for work (which is the point of the medical examination). If, say, the reason one takes replacement hormones is that one is suffering from bone density loss then that might have a bearing on if one is fit for the type of work one is applying for (lifting heavy patients might not be a good idea, while having a desk job would be no problem).

Flossy1978 · Post by **Flossy1978** » Tue Jul 02, 2013 5:47 am

What if you are one of those women who can't go on these drugs?

Breast Cancer runs in my Mum's Mum's side of the family. My Mother has had it, her Mother died from it, her Mother died from it and so on...... There have been few women in the family (totally male dominated) and they've all sucumbed to this cancer, except for my Mum who got it caught early enough.

Therefore my Mother who has gone through menopause is not allowed to take any of those HRT drugs.

Which means it's more than likely I can't either.

What happens to us?

And I don't even understand why such a thing matters when applying for a job. I really don't understand it.

Oombongo · Post by **Oombongo** » Tue Jul 02, 2013 9:29 am

As long as you are not taking anything which is a big no-no according to Finnish laws then you are good to go. Other than that, whatever you take, if prescribed and not effecting your performance, is your own business.

And quit referring to those retarded set of rules formerly known as "culture". Those rules have no significant value in this age, and they were made by people long gone. Heck, they might in our gas tanks sitting as fossil fuel. Do what you like and enjoy what you do.

CH · Post by CH » Tue Jul 02, 2013 10:53 am

Flossy1978 wrote:What if you are one of those women who can't go on these drugs?
...
And I don't even understand why such a thing matters when applying for a job. I really don't understand it.

For the love of... it doesn't matter when applying for a job!!! It was only the OP who was worried about it, nobody here has said that it matters if you take hormone replacement therapy drugs or not.

Oh... and if breast cancer runs in your family, you might want to go talk to a doctor about it. There are, for instance, dna tests that can determine if you have a predisposition for some specific breast cancers. And even if you do not want to do dna tests, it's a good idea that your doctor is aware of it and that you are checked more frequently/earlier.

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