As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to rage through the world and our workplaces — with still little known about its long-term effects — speaking about illness at work has become commonplace. It should be celebrated that discussions of health are increasingly normalized at work. This change presents new challenges for managers, but it’s also a real opportunity to improve how organizations support, accommodate, engage, and enable the best work for all employees.
How Managers Can Support Employees with Chronic Illnesses
Strategies for approaching the situation with confidence and empathy.
February 08, 2021
Yulia Reznikov/ Getty Images
Summary.
Chronic illness is extremely common, and the Covid-19 pandemic has helped normalize talking about it in the workplace. It can be hard to know what to say to an employee with a chronic illness — it’s an emotional topic, and your own assumptions can get in the way of real understanding. There are three steps managers can take to ensure they approach these conversations with empathy and confidence. First, take your own emotions out of it. Second, challenge your views about what counts as great work. Third, approach with curiosity and do your research. The experiences of employees experiencing chronic illness can offer valuable lessons to all employees.