Council Post: How Executives Can Support Their Employees Who Are Living With Chronic Illness

By Sweta Patel, growth advisor for 500 Startups, Plug and Play Tech Center, and Techstars and The Oracles member. startupgrowthmode.com

It’s one heck of a career journey when you’re trying to get ahead after a setback that took over your life. When you are living with an illness and no one seems to care, you have to be as creative as possible. Business owners care about company goals, revenue and having the right team member for the job. Many employers do not acknowledge the personal health of their employees, and it can be seen as a weakness when an employee is struggling with health issues.

As someone who had to deal with chronic illness in the workplace, it was almost like putting on an act of “feeling fine” all the time. It was hard to “act normal” when inside I was suffering. It was hard to tell employers what I was going through because I felt that I would be judged, that people only cared about what I could achieve for them and not about me as an individual. This lack of care showed itself in other ways. I remember looking through my perks that were all for people who lived normal lives, not for people who faced health challenges. I never chose perks as part of my compensation package because I didn’t feel they were taking me anywhere.

Executives and entrepreneurs I worked with would tell me things that made me feel out of my element in more ways than one. They didn’t understand me, and that was the biggest issue. Here are some of the challenges I faced within the workplace that business leaders should take care to avoid: 

‘But you don’t look sick.’

Most executives would say that I looked fine, but they didn’t understand the pain I was in, that I was facing neurological symptoms that slowed me down in several ways. When I was judged based on how I looked, I felt awful inside and hoped they could have some compassion for me and what I was dealing with.

I realized that unless you have a chronic illness, you can’t possibly understand what it is like. In this case, I had to disclose my illness to executives upfront and explain how I was dealing with these symptoms. I learned how to set boundaries that would allow me to live a healthy lifestyle and maintain my workload. However, this kind of open communication still didn’t solve the issues I was facing.

Employers need to listen when employees bring concerns about balancing their health and workload to their attention. Entrepreneurs can help their employees simply by being understanding and more flexible with employees’ work schedules or deadlines. Those living with chronic illness are not incapable by any means. Often, their health is unpredictable, so having that flexibility could mean the world to them. 

‘Don’t worry; you’ll be back to normal in no time.’

When someone is dealing with chronic illness, it doesn’t just go away. There is no magic pill. Employers should take this into consideration when they are working with someone who has a setback or who doesn’t have the same opportunities as someone who doesn’t live with a chronic illness.

Unfortunately, I found that many times when you tell co-workers or managers you are not feeling well or managing symptoms, they might see it as a weakness or excuse, but that simply isn’t the case. If you are an employer, try to understand that people who have these illnesses are not unintelligent or lazy. They are not incapable, and there is nothing wrong with their capacity to learn. They are able to achieve anything they put their minds to.

If there was one thing I wanted from my executives, it was to have a little more patience with me. In my experience, those living with chronic illness often have to work harder than the average person without any acknowledgment, which speaks to their perseverance. When beginning a new job, I would try to let my employers know beforehand about my condition and how it is a permanent disease but doesn’t affect my capabilities. I had to put in a lot more effort, but I let them know my boundaries before we started working so I wasn’t overcommitting.

Executives can plan ahead, but also understand why someone who is dealing with a chronic illness may not be 100% on time. When you can, give employees a few extra days past the deadline. This way they feel relaxed.

‘Yes, we all get tired.’

One day, as I was leaving the office, an employer told me, “Yes, Sweta, we all get tired.” Back then, I didn’t know how to fully express myself in a way that would help them understand what I was feeling. However, years later, I discovered how being tired is different from being in a state of chronic fatigue. When your body is always fighting inflammation, it doesn’t give you a break, and it isn’t just a state of mind.

When an employer is able to comprehend the nature of chronic illness and the fight that a person is facing within themselves, they are able to help their employee become a better performer. A little extra compassion goes a long way. I hope employers today are better able to understand people who are dealing with autoimmune conditions.

As an entrepreneur myself, I can understand how if you’ve never experienced anything that has wholly affected your life, it may be difficult to fully relate to what your employee is experiencing. However, anyone can be compassionate and learn how best to accommodate that individual. We must work together to break this stigma so we can create unity around us. We did not choose the illness we have, but we have to make the most of it. Ultimately, I want my peers who are facing these issues in the workplace to know they are not alone.