Working retail has been hell. I suffer from severe anxiety, depression, panic attacks all due to PTSD and agoraphobia. I let my employers know WELL in advance to try and keep things easy. Here are a few things that have happened despite trying my very best to keep everyone I work with informed:
Pet Supplies Plus- Retail job, worked with pets and helped customers find food, etc. Had a panic attack during a particularly nasty chat with a coworker. When I headed to the back room to try and calm my panic attack, my manager told me to go sit outside. That's not the worst suggestion, I was okay with that. However, she called around to other local PSP chains to tell other managers what I was doing and ask how to “deal with” me. I quit when I found a much higher paying job.
Chowhound Pet Supplies- Worked here for 3 years. A supervisor position opened up and I was more than qualified to apply. Manager gave me an interview. At the end, she told me, and I quote: “I'm sorry but you are never going to move up in this company, what if you had a panic attack at work?” I'm living in an at will employment state but I'm pretty sure denying someone a position they'd already been covering for years based on a disability is illegal?
Petsmart- Way later in my retail career. Was specifically hired not to touch the register. I was put on register for 4 hours, alone in a very large store. No one else could come in, and the one shift lead left. I quit after I got a “report card” from management informing me I was unwilling to listen.