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[HawksWinStanley]

They can if they make up literally any excuse about why they changed their mind based on the OP's qualifications.

Sure, but the OP implies he was directly told that's why it was revoked.

 

[WedgeX]

That sounds illegal what they did.

 

[Widdle Puppy]

If the employer is based in the USA, I'm amazed they were dumb enough to put it in writing. Archive this email, show it to a lawyer, take their butts to court.

No, the owner of the country is from the usa but the company is based in russia

I wanted to distinguish that just so that people would not think it was a cultural thing or anything like that.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

Explain how it isn't accurate.

The Americans with Disabilities Act prevents employers from discriminating against individuals with disabilities or those who are regarded as having such disabilities. It's unlikely OP belongs in the first category due to a depressive condition (because courts define disabilities narrowly), but from what he's telling us, it seems likely he qualifies under the second category, because the prospective employer chose not to hire him because of a perceived disability.

 

[Auctopus]

That's preeetty much illegal in the U.K. as a lot of mental health issues come under the umbrella of "Equal Opportunities". They would never ask you about it in an interview either.

 

[KingSnake]

No, the owner of the country is from the usa but the company is based in russia

I wanted to distinguish that just so that people would not think it was a cultural thing or anything like that.

If the company is based in Russia, then it might not worth it to go to a lawyer.

 

[CitizenVectron]

If the employer is based in the US (and you'd be paid there for income tax purposes) then you now possibly have a rights violation case on your hands. I'd contact a labour-law lawyer.

If it's in Russia, then you're SOL, because that place is the wild west of laws.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

Not much you can do if the company is Russian.

 

[TheCochese]

The Americans with Disabilities Act prevents employers from discriminating against individuals with disabilities or those who are regarded as having such disabilities. It's unlikely OP belongs in the first category due to a depressive condition (because courts define disabilities narrowly), but from what he's telling us, it seems likely he qualifies under the second category, because the prospective employer chose not to hire him because of a perceived disability.

As I stated above I was strictly speaking from question/answer prospective.

This employer is an idiot, but being based in Russia it may be a lost cause. May be better to move on.

 

[DeathoftheEndless]

On the plus side, you don't have to move to Russia.

 

[Widdle Puppy]

If the company is based in Russia, then it might not worth it to go to a lawyer.

I've never had any plans or thought regarding getting a lawyer or anything and have no will in my body to even if I could.

I was smart enough to keep two other offers in my pocket incase something falls through while applying to this one.

I've went ahead and started the process on the other one.

It's just an absolute terrible feeling getting an email like this...

 

[Nocturnowl]

The silver lining I guess is if that's their mentality towards mental health then you're almost surely better off not working there.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

As I stated above I was strictly speaking from question/answer prospective.

This employer is an idiot.

You might want to be careful doling out legal advice, then. Your blanket assertion of "it's not illegal" was wrong (under U.S. laws for U.S.-based employers).

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

A quick google search shows that yes, Russia does have anti-discrimination employment laws, but I think you'd need more specific legal advice in order to know if there was any recourse in your current situation.

 

[Lkr]

Honestly it comes down to your employer. My friend went to quit his job due to mental health and they told him to stay on and cut his hours in half to see how he liked that. A month or so later he was back full time and recently got a promotion.

 

[Duane Cunningham]

It's worth contacting a lawyer. He might say it's a Russian based company, but who knows if that's true? Maybe it'll turn out they have a US federal EIN or something? It's worth looking into at least. If there's a way to stick it to this fucker, do it.

 

[NervousXtian]

This is not accurate.

Talk to a lawyer, OP, one that does employment law for plaintiffs.

He told them, it's not illegal. That's is accurate.

Rescinded the offer BECAUSE he's on anti-depressants more than likely is illegal... but we don't exactly what was said to him officially.

It's illegal to deny someone work due to many things, but you can deny any of those people work with no explanation. By law I don't have to explain anything to a potential hire about my decision.

:EDIT: I see the letter they gave.. yeah.. it's not legal what they did... but it's probably not worth fighting.

 

[Hoho for breakfast]

Oh wow they fucked up putting it in writing as the reason. Pretty sure they can't legally do that. Like others said, lawyer up and file a discrimination suit.

 

[TheCochese]

He told them, it's not illegal. That's is accurate.

Rescinded the offer BECAUSE he's on anti-depressants more than likely is illegal... but we don't exactly what was said to him officially.

It's illegal to deny someone work due to many things, but you can deny any of those people work with no explanation. By law I don't have to explain anything to a potential hire about my decision.

Thank you. I edited my post.

 

[Linkura]

Illegal as fuck. Contact the DOL and an employment lawyer.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Find a good Russian lawyer. Maybe tweet @ the potus and see if he knows a guy.

 

[Shake Appeal]

In the U.S., people with mental health challenges are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. It's against the law for them to ask you about your mental health, against the law for them to make your job offer contingent upon it, and against the law for them not to provide reasonable accommodations for your mental health.

There are gray areas in which they could find out about your mental health because you volunteered the information and they decided to go with another candidate for reasons they didn't disclose. But if they more or less said they pulled the job offer because you disclosed depression, that's against the law.

 

[shawnbuddy]

don't tell your friends either. don't tell anyone anything.

My mother only knows I go to mental health counseling because she intercepted a call to me confirming my appointment. Should have given them my cell.

 

[Earthbound64]

If he offered it voluntarily, it's not illegal.

This.
Sounds like the OP mentioned it himself without them asking anything.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

He told them, it's not illegal. That's is accurate.

Rescinded the offer BECAUSE he's on anti-depressants more than likely is illegal... but we don't exactly what was said to him officially.

It's illegal to deny someone work due to many things, but you can deny any of those people work with no explanation. By law I don't have to explain anything to a potential hire about my decision.

:EDIT: I see the letter they gave.. yeah.. it's not legal what they did... but it's probably not worth fighting.

Jesus, guys. Some of you need to stop armchair lawyering and listen to those of us who have actually passed a bar exam.

The answer is never to listen to random Gaffers on legal questions, get proper direction and talk to a real lawyer that practices the area involved. (For full disclosure, I have practiced a decent amount of employment law in the past, but it's not my primary practice area now.)

 

[proto]

The fact that you already had the job offer and they revoked it makes a pretty strong case for discrimination.

I understand if you want to move on from the whole thing OP, but lawyering up might not be a bad idea. Employers shouldn't be allowed to get away with health based discrimination.

 

[DonShula]

employer is from the usa but the job is in russia

I'm not mad at them or anyone

just feel terrible

Sounds like you don't want to pursue this, but holy crap is that letter brazen.

 

[0ptimusPayne]

.

 

[entremet]

Isn't that illegal?

Yes, but it's hard to prove that was reason. Yay at will employment laws lol.

 

[paperboywriter]

Just for an anti-depressant? Isn't just about everybody on those these days?

Excuse me?

 

[Mammoth Jones]

Yea don't tell em shit. When I was interviewing for my current job he mentioned their work from home policy. I politely nodded and kept the conversation going. I wasn't going to mention that I have an artificial hip and sometimes my other hip really hurts and I may want to work from home.

Don't ever disclose that kinda stuff. It might seem casual and not that serious to you but employers can and will use anything against you.

employer is from the usa but the job is in russia

I'm not mad at them or anyone

just feel terrible

You're a fool if you don't lawyer up and sue. It's your money. Go get it. If only to prevent them from doing this to someone else.

 

[GeordieMark]

This is bad advice if you have a halfway decent employer. We have offered to pay for treatment and help people find support for their mental illnesses. The problem with keeping these things quiet is that issues related to the illness may be taken as a sign that you just aren't cut out for the job. I can't help someone unless they are honest with me, and if they are we do everything in our power to support those we need it.

 

[Chmpocalypse]

Don't disclose your medications or anything related to your mental health (good/bad, whatever) to any employer ever.

I just had a job offer revoked because I disclosed (for lack of a better word?) I take an antidepressant during a meeting that was working out some details of my transition over to the job.

I'm feeling crushed right now....

That's super illegal.

 

[Pagusas]

Just for an anti-depressant? Isn't just about everybody on those these days?

no?

 

[Mammoth Jones]

This is bad advice if you have a halfway decent employer. We have offered to pay for treatment and help people find support for their mental illnesses. The problem with keeping these things quiet is that issues related to the illness may be taken as a sign that you just aren't cut out for the job. I can't help someone unless they are honest with me, and if they are we do everything in our power to support those we need it.

90% of the time it'll hurt your chances at getting hired. 10% it won't make any difference either way. Makes no sense to disclose.

 

[GeordieMark]

90% of the time it'll hurt your chances at getting hired. 10% it won't make any difference either way. Makes no sense to disclose.

Well its illegal to ask at the interview here anyway so yeah, but once you're in, keeping it to yourself is usually a bad idea.

 

[mcw]

This advice is generally true. Your employer and the people with whom you work wish to view you as a faceless, soulless robot that generates a predictable amount of success on their behalf.

 

[Apathy]

employer is from the usa but the job is in russia

I'm not mad at them or anyone

just feel terrible

Wow sorry you got this sort of shitty treatment.
A lot of companies don't treat employees with mental health issues well. My friend got put on new antipsychotic medication that threw him off. He had to take leave, but now is fighting with his company insurance to get it covered and he's feeling a lot of backlash and tension from his bosses. It's really making it hard to get better.

 

[NH Apache]

If that's a us company, that letter is damning and hard evidence.

Lawyer up, fight discrimination.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

Well its illegal to ask at the interview here anyway so yeah, but once you're in, keeping it to yourself is usually a bad idea.

Unless my medical issues interfered with work to the point of needing adjustments I wouldn't disclose shit.

While I don't have experience with mental health issues in this context I do have plenty in physical issues and it can fuck you over. I wouldn't disclose shit if I didn't need to.

 

[Hari Seldon]

It is probably worth at least talking to a lawyer, but you might not get very far with the Russian connection.

 

[GeordieMark]

Unless my medical issues interfered with work to the point of needing adjustments I wouldn't disclose shit.

While I don't have experience with mental health issues in this context I do have plenty in physical issues and it can fuck you over. I wouldn't disclose shit if I didn't need to.

That's fair enough. Not everything needs to be disclosed, but if you suffer from something that can potentially have a detrimental effect on your ability to do your job, it'd be silly not to disclose it. For example, Its easy to mistake the symptoms of anxiety with someone who just doesn't care much about their job or isn't up to it. Absence, motivation and behaviour can all be affected by anxiety and stress.

All depends where you work and how well you know and trust your employer though too. Obviously its important to look out for yourself, but not every employer is out to screw you over.

 

[cwmartin]

This.
Sounds like the OP mentioned it himself without them asking anything.

In the US it is 100% illegal to discriminate based on mental health regardless of how you know. I think your confusing the fact that it is illegal for the employer to ask, with it being illegal to allow that to influence or make your decision.

If you tell someone your black willingly, they can't then discriminate because of it.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

Sounds like you need to contact a lawyer.

 

[Shadowhelper]

Russia including America can bar you from entering the country for having virtually any mental disorder at all. Its common enough in America to disallow visitors and immigrants with mental conditions. Since it potentially effects your legal status in Russia, I think that is what they would say makes this decision legal, even if it is completely unfair.

 

[Widdle Puppy]

That's fair enough. Not everything needs to be disclosed, but if you suffer from something that can potentially have a detrimental effect on your ability to do your job, it'd be silly not to disclose it. For example, Its easy to mistake the symptoms of anxiety with someone who just doesn't care much about their job or isn't up to it. Absence, motivation and behaviour can all be affected by anxiety and stress.

All depends where you work and how well you know and trust your employer though too. Obviously its important to look out for yourself, but not every employer is out to screw you over.

I'm not disclosing anything in the future. I was silly to be this trusting in conversation with an employer. I would advise anyone to do the same considering the discrimination you could face. I do not suffer from anything that could have a detrimental effect on my ability to work either.

 

[_Nemo]

 

[kiguel182]

Yeah, mental health is terribly viewed. It's better to just keep that to yourself.

 

[Afrocious]

I made that mistake in my first job. I was fired eventually. It wasn't for me disclosing my issues and how I was dealing with them, but I don't think it helped me out.

 

[Dirtyshubb]

Don't disclose it to anyone other than your doctor and very close family and friends. People are extremely prejudiced about it

Doing this will only allow the current mindset to continue.

The more people are honest about mental health the better we will all be.