When you're not going to get something accomplished. When you can't be there. That admonition extends to health issues. In a tutorial about health disclosure posted to its Web site, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society hints at the danger of being too open about health issues at work. But if you feel disclosure will not be used against you, and that telling your boss and your co-workers provides more relief and is better for you than remaining silent, then you should tell.
Financial problems are an equally touchy subject.
Anthe, for one, says it may not be wise to tell your employer if you have to file for bankruptcy. That could keep you from getting a promotion down the line. If, on the other hand, your financial and family life is in such tatters that your paycheck is about to be docked for child-support payments, it might be better if the company hears it from you rather than law enforcement. If you do decide to talk about your personal life at work, be careful who you tell and how you tell them. Perhaps those few people whose jobs will be directly affected by your disclosure should be told.