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19 Nov 2019
by Dawn Lewis

Managing long-term and chronic health conditions in the workplace

Looking after the health of your employees is a top concern for any employer. As a society with an ageing population, workers’ health is a ticking time bomb we need to address.

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As we live longer, many of us are also working longer, in fact people aged over 50 make up nearly one-third of the entire UK workforce.

That also means we’re seeing greater impact in the workplace of chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer, musculoskeletal issues and so on. And this trend is set to continue.

But what is a chronic condition? Is it hidden or visible? An impairment of a condition? Long or short-term?

Under the Equality Act 2010, a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial, long-term negative effect on someone’s ability to do normal daily activities.

Breaking that down further, substantial means the condition is more than a minor inconvenience. It affects a person’s life, for example making daily tasks like getting dressed more difficult or time-consuming. Long-term means lasting 12 months or more and a chronic condition can stop and flare up again over time.

What is your role as an employer?

The law places health and safety requirements on you, but there are other things you may want to do to help your employees, such as introducing a wellbeing policy.

However, because everyone is different, every chronic condition you encounter will be different. For example, you may have two employees diagnosed with diabetes, but each might respond differently.

That means you need to think about each employee individually when a situation arises. You can have policies in place but it’s best to talk to your employee to find out what they need. Your managers may have pre-conceived ideas about a condition, which could be wrong. You need to understand the reality of living with that condition for that employee.

There will be things you can do to help, from adjusting work situations to providing group health care or apps offering medical advice or tools to manage their condition.

Health isn’t separate to work

You know from personal experience that your health affects your whole life. If you have a cold, it doesn’t just affect you at home. Plus, people experience a cold differently, with varying symptoms and different ways of coping.

It’s the same for people with chronic conditions, and even small changes can help massively. Some may appreciate flexible working to help them attend regular hospital appointments or travel outside of rush hour. Others might welcome the freedom to manage their work load during more difficult periods caused by their condition. Some may simply want to be able to ask for flexibility or changes to their workstations without drawing their colleagues’ attention to their health situation. 

It’s also worth considering the mental, emotional or financial burden coping with chronic conditions might have on individuals, and signpost them to any available help. An employee assistance programme (EAP) or counselling services from your private medical insurance (PMI) provider may help your employees as they continue day-to-day life, adjusting to their condition.

“I am me, not a diagnosis”

When you’re working to help an employee with a chronic condition, it’s important to remember they are more than their diagnosis.

For many people, this is key, so it’s essential to personalise your approach to each individual. And don’t forget an individual is often part of a team. Their condition and how you support them could affect team morale. This could run from concerns the person is not ‘pulling their weight’ to goodwill towards you supporting a colleague in their time of need.

Five ways you can help

  1. Find out more about chronic conditions and the legislative requirements you must follow with the Equality Act 2010.
  2. Take stock of the support you offer for your employees’ health needs. This could include workplace adjustments, wellbeing policies, digital health support, EAPs, counselling services, PMI and group income protection.
  3. Cultivate curiosity and compassion in your workforce. Encourage your employees to understand we’re all different and it’s better to ask someone how you can help than to assume you already know.
  4. Include employees with chronic conditions in your discussions about workplace benefits. People managing long-term health conditions know more about it than you do and they could bring a lot to the conversation.
  5. Create a community and culture which respects and values everyone for what they bring. An employee who feels supported by their employer during their time in need can be a powerful advocate for a business. After all, it could happen to any of us at any time.

Show your employees you care

Offering a layered approach to helping employees manage their health makes sense for you as an employer and the individuals concerned.

From group health plans to sensible working polices to wellbeing initiatives, you can make a difference to your staff, whether they are in perfect health or living with a chronic condition.

Being diagnosed with a condition can be shocking, upsetting and isolating, but knowing your employer has your back can make a huge positive difference.

The author is Dr Subashini M, Aviva UK Health associate medical director.

This article is provided by Aviva. 

In partnership with Aviva

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