42% of working adults are living with a health condition or disability. Chronic disease has a stronger impact on labour force participation among older workers than increasing age.

Although research has shown that if a person has a chronic health condition, it is generally better for them to be working if possible. This does not mean that companies are laying out the red carpet for those of us who have long term health conditions.

Not every person with chronic illness gets time off work. Many individuals are well enough to keep working. Some still must work and manage their condition long term. It can be very challenging. Working with a chronic illness can be anxiety-provoking, painful and mentally and physically exhausting. Just getting through the workday may sometimes feel like an insurmountable challenge. It can be especially jarring to face work if your illness is new, and you’re dealing with obstacles you didn’t encounter on the job and beyond previously.

Tasks that came easily to you in the past may be extremely difficult to accomplish. Perhaps you even find it’s hard to get to work and make it through the week. Sometimes, you wonder if it’s even possible to keep your full-time job while dealing with the physical and psychological pain of having a chronic illness.

Finally, mitigating the stigma of being sick means managing your employer’s understanding of your condition and setting realistic expectations for the completion of your work and participation in company culture. You need to set the stage for a future you cannot predict, all while managing an unpredictable condition.

There is a way to keep working without compromising your health further. There are ways to face the challenge of being you when you’re not feeling well. There are resources out there to help you when you just need extra time to recover from a challenging day. We’ve been there and lost quite a few jobs along the way, learning how to create the best atmosphere which will benefit both you and your employer. Work doesn’t have to be a source of anxiety, with realistic management of your condition and work’s expectations and knowledge of resources and programs created to help keep you in the workplace.

5 Ways to Manage Your Employer’s Expectations

Are you one of the many people with a chronic illness who is still able to work? If so, how has your condition impacted your job performance and your employer’s perception of you? Do they fully appreciate the physical struggles you are enduring, or do they judge your low energy moments as a lack of motivation?

Having a boss who judges you unfairly can have further negative implications for your well-being. If this sounds familiar to you then there are several factors to remain aware of:

The Psychological Contract

According to a theory by an organizational psychologist, Denise Rousseau, an unwritten set of mutual expectations exists between employers and their staff. This is what she termed “The Psychological Contract”. On the employer’s end, their expectations of the employee revolve around work effort, engagement, motivation, attendance, punctuality, and a positive attitude. The employees, in exchange for these behaviours, expect respect, compassion, objectivity, trust, job security and future opportunity.

Impact

The model encompasses a wide variety of situations. If there is a perceived breach of this unwritten agreement on either side, the other party tends to withdraw. This can be a delicate balance for most individuals, but for those who work while managing a chronic illness, it can be especially fragile. Your physical limits may often get in the way of putting in these efforts at work. Consequently, if your employer fails to grasp the full nature of your condition, it can make your relationship with them unstable, leading to adverse effects on your overall wellbeing. The last thing you want is to turn up to work each day and must deal with additional stress.

Options

So, to avoid finding yourself in this precarious position, what steps should you take? What factors do you have control over? Let’s look at some options.

1. Set Up a Meeting with Your Employer

This is the most fundamental step you can take. It allows you to engage their attention and cultivate transparency. Ideally, this will help them understand the nature of your condition while establishing the level of job security and opportunity they are prepared to offer you.

2. Set New Expectations

Once you and your employer are both on the same page regarding your capabilities, you can agree upon a new set of expectations regarding performance standards. Make sure that these are not beyond your physical limits and that your employer is comfortable with these new goals.

3. Reassure Them About Your Motivation Levels

Your employer will want to know that you still feel motivated regarding your job role. What you lack in physical energy can be compensated for by your intent. Reassuring them of this will do a lot to ensure that they remain supportive of you.

4. Agree on a Working Schedule.

Another option you may want to explore is if you have flexibility in your schedule. Your employer is likely to feel more reassured if you are sticking to a schedule that you can manage, rather than one which causes tardiness and being absent.

5. A Good Attitude

Positive team morale is very important to many employers. You may not have the energy to become the company cheerleader, but if you are still able to come into work with a good attitude, it will help you to keep them on your side.

We invite you to share your feedback with us. Have you tried any of these before? Have you tried anything different? What has worked for you? What has not worked?

Is there anything else you would like for us to cover?

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Our website is www.illnesscoaching.com

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As always, if you are experiencing any severe medical or psychological symptoms, we always recommend you speak directly to a qualified professional.

Thank you for checking in with us and we’ll see you again soon.