Navigating workplace disclosure with an invisible illness

You may not feel so alone with it: If your fellow workers understand that you have a chronic medical condition, they're more likely to give you essential support. This can make taking time off for your healthcare appointments easier (If they don't know, colleagues may believe you're getting preferential treatment) and there may also be more compassion afforded to you if you require sick days. It could also mean that you could come to an arrangement with your line manager or a colleague in terms of sharing the workload, and that you will return the favour when needed.  

 You may be more comfortable: By disclosing your condition, you can get the adequate assistance you need to create a better working environment. This means that, if your condition is seen as a ‘disability’, your employer may be required to do things such as providing ergonomic furniture and environmental adaptations to make your desk and workstation more ‘arthritis friendly’. Also, you can be more honest about certain expectations, such as if someone asks you to lift something but you know that could compromise your back, or if you’re asked to work late hours and fatigue is an issue for you. And taking regular breaks, ensuring to stretch your body – one of the essential strategies for staying well when you have arthritis – will no longer be met with strange or confused looks – there is likely to be more understanding and acceptance from the team in the office as a result of you disclosing your condition.  

Your commute could be easier: If you work in an office one or two days a week and have disclosed your arthritis condition, your commute could be part of a negotiation you make with your employers. For instance, maybe you could start a little later or finish a little earlier, for example, to avoid busy commuter trains or buses, as long as you can make up for that slight loss of time once you get home/or before you leave.  

It may keep you in the workforce: Unfortunately, a shockingly high proportion of those with severe inflammatory arthritis end up having to give up work. When this happens, statistically, only a small percentage of those people every return to work. We know that work, for many, can provide a sense of purpose and social connection, in addition to more financial security. If you disclose your condition to your employer, and accommodation is made for you to continue at work, then everybody is likely to benefit. As part of this, a discussion could be made about a more suitable role within the same company for a period while your condition is unstable, with a view to returning to your original role once the disease is less active. Also, it is a good idea to consult with an occupational therapist to discuss what early interventions could be made to help you to stay in a job you want to stay in whilst managing your condition. 

You may find it less stressful: In some cases, it may be less stressful to have things ‘out in the open’. If your condition is unstable or unpredictable, or if you experience frequent flares, then it can be more stressful ‘hiding’ that reality than coming out with the truth, particularly if your co-workers are understanding. When it is known that you have a condition, expectations from the employee and the employer can be set, and there should be no major surprises with schedules and workloads. The opposite situation is one where someone does not disclose, and the condition deteriorates, which could leave an employer frustrated that it was not revealed from the outset.