Holding on to a job in today's economy is hard enough without having to deal with an illness. But when that illness becomes "chronic" after a year or more, you start to wonder how you can continue working with something that causes so much suffering.
I became chronically sick with Lyme Disease six months after starting my job but continued to work four more years until I was no longer able to. The disease progressively got worse to the point where I finally had to stop working and apply for disability.
So is this the route you should take? Well, ultimately only you and your doctor can make that decision. But in this blog post, I'll describe what it means to go on disability AND what to do should you decide to continue working.
SHOULD YOU APPLY FOR DISABILITY?
Perhaps you've already reached a point where you feel you can no longer work because the pain and suffering of your illness are too much to bear. It's usually at this point when you start thinking about applying for disability benefits. Now, you'd think going on disability is your best option but there's more to the story…
Sure, on one hand, you'd have all the time to concentrate on your health by leaving the stress-filled rat race of the working world behind. But on the other hand, you'd likely introduce new stresses to your life, namely the lack of enough income and possibly confronting isolation and depression — all too common issues especially among homebound individuals. That's why applying for disability isn't always the best choice when your chronic disease is still manageable with the right medication.
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Having said that, if your disability directly affects your job performance and continues to get worse, you may have no other choice than to apply for disability, that is, if your employer doesn't bring it up first. Keep in mind that while the Americans with Disabilities Act protects you from workplace discrimination and harassment, your employer isn't liable simply because you can no longer do the job.
Assuming your disability doesn't directly affect your job performance and you decide to carry on working instead, you're left with two choices:
- Continue to work at your current place of employment
- Make a career switch more accommodating to your condition
Let's look at each of these options...
SHOULD YOU STAY WITH YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER?
Whether to stay at your current job boils down to two deciding factors...
First, assess your current day-to-day working environment. Are your co-workers warm, helpful and accepting of your condition or are they stand-offish, neglectful and openly hostile? It goes without saying that working in an environment where you know you're not wanted is reason enough to leave.
Second, gauge the extent to which your employer will accommodate you. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, your employer is required to make reasonable adjustments so long as your illness meets the definition of a disability. But beyond legal statutes, can you speak to your employer openly about your situation and expect to receive a receptive ear? If not, you may want to think twice about staying there even if the law's on your side.
Assuming you have an understanding boss, here are some topics to discuss regarding your situation...
Work Location
Talk about the prospect of telecommuting with your employer since it's probably the easiest solution for both parties. Think about it, you'd be able to work from home, allowing you to create an environment conducive to optimal health and your employer wouldn't have to reconfigure their environment to accommodate you.
Workplace Changes
Depending on your job, working from home isn't always an option in which case it's time to discuss how to make the workplace environment more accommodating to you. Here are a few topics to raise in your meeting...
- Permission to work flexible hours or part-time hours
- Permission to take more breaks
- Permission to leave for regular doctor's appointments (with medical certificates)
- Permission to recruit co-workers for extra help to meet deadlines when you're out of the office (which you reciprocate at a later time)
- Permission to move to another part of the office (where foot traffic and noise are less)
- Request for special equipment (e.g., ergonomic chair, headset telephone, speech recognition software, etc.)
- Request for better accessibility (for wheelchairs, etc.)
Whatever you do, don't make demands otherwise you'll risk souring your relationship. Keep the discussion serious, yet cordial.
Many employers also take part in disease management programs which help people with chronic illnesses so that's something to ask during your meeting too.
Redeployment
Consider asking your employer for a less demanding job if your current one is too stressful. While there may not be an immediate opening, you never know what can happen down the road so it's worthwhile bringing up.
SHOULD YOU SWITCH YOUR CAREER?
If your employer won't agree to any of your requests, it may be time to resign. But finding a similar job position that meets all your demands will be difficult. That's why you may want to consider choosing a new career around something you enjoy and which gives you more time to concentrate on your health. If you're not sure which path to take, think about volunteering to get some ideas for possible careers.
A word of advice though...when applying for a new job, DON'T disclose your illness on your resume and/or cover letter because it will end up in the trash. The time to bring up your illness (if at all) is during the interview at which point assure the interviewer that you have it under control and that you're confident you can do the job.
I like work, it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours. – Jerome K. Jerome
THINGS YOU CAN DO TO COPE AT WORK
Even if your employer accommodates your requests or even if you switch to a new career, you're still going to have to become more adept at coping at the workplace. So, here are a few suggestions that helped me when I still had a job...
- Find a place to temporarily escape to recoup and collect yourself (e.g., bathroom, stairway, etc.)
- Get up frequently to get your body moving
- Wear headphones even when not using them as it'll discourage co-workers from talking to you (sneaky, I know!)
- Drink plenty of water to help lessen fatigue and increase concentration
- Maintain a healthy diet (sometimes challenging especially when your office orders pizza on Fridays!)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Working with a chronic disease is often challenging even under the best working conditions and that's why I recommend striking out on your own if possible. Think of what your life would be like…
Never having to contend with brutal commutes that drain your energy before your day even starts...
Never having to force yourself to put on a brave face throughout the day...
Never having to feel uncomfortable whenever leaving your workplace to visit your doctors...
Never having to feel ashamed for being unable to meet your work commitments…
Never having to explain the reasons why you can't intermingle with co-workers…
Plus, many more "nevers"!
By starting your own home-based business, you'll feel more at ease and more in control of your life.
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NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!
So, what challenges have you had working with a chronic illness? Leave your comments below!
I have herniated discs in my neck, cysts on my C-sine, and carpal tunnel, but I’ve worked with this chronic pain for years. Fortunately I work at home and I can get up and move around, stretch, and take more breaks when I need to. You’re absolutely right, going on disability creates another set of problems, lack of income being the main one. I was approved for disability due to my chronic conditions, but I continue to work part-time, as disability alone doesn’t cut it. However, being on disability limits the amount of extra income you can make.
Yup, that’s pretty much it, thanks Carol!
What a helpful post, and puts into perspectives the extra challenges disabled people have to face just doing day-to-day stuff at work. At least today with more telework opportunities it’s not as bad as it was probably 20-30 years ago. That said, I like that you’re encouraging people with disabilities to pursue online opportunities that put them back in control. It’s great to know the internet is empowering for so many of us.
Thank you Penelope!
Stephan,
What a very good website! I really don’t think that very many people have thought about working in the online field while being disabled or have a chronic illnesses.
It is hard in today’s working environment to begin with. Having to be at a job a certain amount of time and trying to make ends meet, especially if one is in pain.
Good luck to you in your endeavors.
Hi Jim, actually, you’d be surprised how many chronically ill and disabled people look for ways to make money either online or offline. It’s a big problem! Thanks for chiming in…
Many thanks Stephan for these words of wisdom. I volunteer for a disability NGO and I will share your post with others who are in the same boat. At the moment I’m organising a part-time job for a young person with disabilities to sell sleeping bags online. Do you have any tips? Keep up the good work!
Hi Alisa, thanks for your comment! By selling sleeping bags, do you mean as an affiliate marketer, drop shipper or selling his own brand? They are pretty different strategies. Feel free to email me directly…
Stephan! This is a great article, and very refreshing to hear from a ‘male’ chronic illness blogger. You all are like a rare bird sighting, you’re out there, but seldom seen! Thank goodness for this internet or I don’t know those of us with chronic illness who need an income would do. I know I am still plugging away at working to monetize my site, but preseverence & hard work will pay off eventually! Thank you for linking up at Chronic Friday Link-up! Pinned/Tweeted/Shared
Hi Kristine, thanks for leaving such a lovely comment! It’s true, I haven’t come across many male bloggers in the chronic illness space, so I guess I’m an anomaly in that respect :-p Best of luck with monetizing your blog (which looks great, btw!)
Thanks for the suggestions on this important topic. I’ve gone to part time work like many with health challenges and am always looking more for information and options.
Hi Christa, thanks for commenting! That’s great you’ve been able to return to the work force, even if it’s just part-time. Glad my article gives you some more things to think about. 🙂
Hi there Stephen, some great advice there for handling the workplace.
I guess the main thing is to look after your own health so if work is having a detrimental effect on this, then it would be time to start reducing your hours or look at other options.
My job would be impossible to do with a disability as I am a community nurse but there are nursing jobs that you can do over the phone so that could be an option for me if I ever needed it.
How has your health improved since leaving the workplace?
Thanks, Kris
Hi Kris, thanks for commenting!
Yes, I’d imagine being a community nurse would be very difficult to do while disabled. Mine was more of an office job but I still couldn’t do it with my illness. Unfortunately, my health hasn’t improved since leaving but I’m still on a quest to regain it! (btw, thanks for asking)…
Great topic for an article which will benefit many people with chronic illness, I experienced exactly that myself many years ago. I worked my career until I was so sick I could not work any longer and I was forced to go on disability benefits. I was ashamed being on disability, I tried several times to be retrained but even school was more then I could comprehend with my disabilities, thanks to a training program online I am now able to earn my own income through an online business, I urge everyone never give up. If I had thrown in the towel and not kept searching for a way to earn an income my life would still be very miserable for me, thank you for your encouragement and suggestions to people facing this drama in their lives today
Hi Jeff, thanks for commenting! That’s great that things ultimately worked out for you through your online business. I definitely think it’s the best option for disabled folks.
Hi Stephan,
I really learned some things from your article that I would never have thought of before. My hat is off to you and all the people who have to work on a daily basis with a chronic illness or disability.
I can only imagine how difficult and challenging it is. I liked the video because I think it really drove home the point of all the obstacles people with a disability face. By seeing live people relate their own experiences I really feel a lot of empathy for them and all who are in that situation.
At my last job we had some co-workers who had some disabilities. Luckily our management team tried to accommodate them as much as possible. I also tried to encourage and help them as much as I could. Thanks so much for sharing this great information!
Jon
Hi Jon, thanks for commenting! Indeed, it’s very hard having to work in an office with a chronic disease/disability. Some people handle it better than others, depending on the severity. Sounds like you had good employers at your last job, and good on you for trying to help out where you could!