From invisible to transparent: dealing with chronic illness at work
There are many employees who struggle every day with an invisible and/or chronic illness. For example, diabetes, rheumatism, endometriosis, migraines, etc. They seem fine, but their body demands extra energy every day. These people with an invisible illness also have invisible needs. And that’s exactly why they deserve extra attention in every modern well-being policy.
According to the Federal Planning Department, 26.8% of Belgians over the age of 16 claims to have a long-term ailment or health issue. For people over 50, that number increases to 33%. Yet, the topic often remains quite literally invisible, in the workplace, too. By making this topic transparent, you can better align work and the workplace to the needs of those with an invisible illness. The result? Greater happiness at work, less people reporting sick. We have some specific tips for you on how to approach this.
What is an invisible illness?
An invisible illness is an ailment that you don’t immediately notice, but which does have a big impact on a person’s life and activity. For example:
autoimmune diseases (MS, rheumatism, lupus)
chronic pain or fatigue
diabetes
cancer and long-lasting follow-up care
psychological illnesses (depression, anxiety disorders)
…
The impact on work is significant. European studies show, for example, that people with diabetes take two to ten extra sick days a year. In the case of rheumatism, this can reach up to 147 days. As such, these are not peripheral, but structural challenges, for both the employee and the organisation.
The economic reality
Absenteeism is expensive. Not only the hours of work that are lost, but also indirect costs, such as loss of productivity, replacement, work pressure on colleagues, etc. Add up those costs and the amount is enormous. Discover how to identify direct and indirect costs of absenteeism in your organisation.
Proactive prevention
Belgium has a clear legal framework relating to absenteeism: the well-being act and legislation relating to reintegration. Both with three key ambitions:
preventing people from becoming ill
preventing long-term absence for sick employees
enabling a faster and more flexible return to work
The growing focus on prevention is a good thing. Marieke Dombrecht, nurse and researcher at Mensura: “An employee with rheumatism or MS, for example, who quietly ‘sinks into the mud’, must currently wait until things really go wrong to get support. By then, the damage – for all parties – is often already significant. Too often, the focus lies on reintegration when someone has already been sitting at home for months. However, with prevention, dialogue, and prompt adjustments, you work proactively, thus allowing you to increase employability and reduce your absenteeism rates.”
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Getting started with prevention and human support
Really want to make an impact? Then choose an approach in which prevention, open communication, and a human-focused policy go hand in hand. Three parties play a key role in this:
1. You, as the employer
Flexible work arrangements: flexitime, working from home, progressive employment.
Workplace adjustments: ergonomic adjustments, transfer of tasks, less physical strain.
Human-focused leadership: training managers to deal with chronic illness and psychosocial signals.
Inclusive culture: making open dialogue the norm, not only when things go wrong.
Psychological safety: an environment in which employees are able to express their needs without shame.
All of these actions should be included in your well-being policy. Also, create a clear absenteeism policy, allowing you to manage absenteeism in a structured manner.
💡 Tip: Read more about an inclusive workplace for people with a disability.
2. The employee with an invisible illness
Not everyone is keen or able to talk about their illness. But it helps when employees with an invisible illness state their needs and limits. Ask them which tasks are (more) difficult to manage or when symptoms are worse. Employees can talk confidentially to the manager, HR, or person of trust. They may also contact their prevention department for a discussion with the occupational physician, a psychologist, or other prevention expert.
💡 Plus, it is important to remain connected with the team during the period of illness. The employer plays a part in this too.
3. Occupational physician and prevention departments
An external prevention department helps organisations with everything relating to well-being, prevention, and safety. Using a multidisciplinary approach including ergonomists, psychologists, occupational physicians, absenteeism experts, etc., they assess the professional risks and, in collaboration with you, the experts determine what action is required. Get them involved to help you think about an inclusive approach for people with an invisible illness.
An important link is the occupational physician, who is responsible for health monitoring. This person is well placed to support an employee with a chronic illness. This is possible through contact with attending physician(s), but also by proposing adjustments to the work station or referral to a psychologist or ergonomist. The occupational physician can also set up a social medical team with any other prevention advisors, your HR department, and your internal prevention advisor.
💡Tip: Every employee can request a spontaneous consultation with the occupational physician, even if health monitoring is not obligatory.
From invisible to visible
Invisible illnesses should not mean invisible employees. An approach focusing on prevention, people, and an inclusive approach is the key to sustainable employability. Do you have any questions about the approach to medical problems? Do you wish to get started with an absenteeism policy or leadership skills? At Mensura, you’re in the right place.