About 15 million people across the UK have chronic illnesses, meaning there is a good chance that you know someone with a chronic illness, and may even work with someone. Examples of chronic illnesses include diabetes, Alzheimer’s or Crohn’s Disease.
Knowing the correct ways to support employees with chronic illnesses can make a big impact on your employee’s happiness and sense of fulfilment at work. Experts at SEFE Marketing & Trading offer their expertise to support employees with chronic illnesses.
Consider extending “benefits” out to the wider company
Someone with a chronic illness might need special considerations such as more frequent breaks, work-from-home privileges and also time to attend medical appointments, for example. So that the individual doesn’t feel singled out, and to avoid envy from other colleagues, you might consider making these perks a company-wide offering.
Be Open to Learning
Someone living with IBS might need different support than someone living with diabetes, even two people living with the same condition might have different needs, so it’s important to direct questions toward the employee and also do your research, learning from a variety of sources and mentors.
Leave the door open for your employees to come forward with novel needs or requests as their condition develops, worsens, or improves as their understanding of symptoms and treatments advances.
Formal and Informal Arrangements
As well as setting out formal policies such as longer or more regular breaks, it’s important to leave space for informal arrangements outside of these policies. A condition’s symptoms may fluctuate over a year or even over a week, so flexibility is crucial when considering the support that a chronic illness dictates.
