Chronic conditions are silent robbers in the workplace, stealing employee wellbeing, productivity and job satisfaction.
“Though businesses may be generally aware that this issue affects their workforce, the day-to-day impacts on workers and their jobs are often hidden, obscuring the true need for support,” according to a new report from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation.
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The organizations’ U.S. Employee Perspectives on Managing Chronic Conditions in the Workplace survey revealed several key findings:
- Chronic health conditions often are hidden in the workplace. Among the 58% of U.S. employees with physical chronic health conditions, a majority (60%) have not formally told their employer.
- Managing chronic conditions and work requires substantial time and effort. Three in four employees with chronic health conditions need to manage their conditions during regular work hours.
- Employees sacrifice health care to keep up with work. More than a third of employees with chronic conditions say they have skipped medical appointments or delayed getting care in the past year to avoid interfering with work.
- Stigma and missed work opportunities are common. One in three employees with chronic health conditions say that in the past year they have missed opportunities for more hours or projects because of their conditions.
- Many face additional challenges caring for family with chronic conditions. One-third of all employees say they have helped family members with their chronic conditions in the past year.
- Notable shares do not have adequate breaks or time off. About half of those with chronic conditions say that in the past year they felt they could not take time off work (49%) or take a break while at work (49%), even though they needed to because of their conditions.
- Few report that their employers are very supportive of measures that could help employees manage chronic health conditions. Although many say their employer is at least somewhat supportive of these measures, fewer than half of all workers say their employer is very supportive of allowing employees to take breaks (44%) or paid leave (44%). Even fewer say their employer is very supportive of scheduling flexibility (37%) or working remotely (27%), even if the work can be done this way.
“These poll findings show there are widespread and frequently hidden challenges to managing chronic conditions for the U.S. workforce today,” the report concluded. “Further, many employees are also managing their family members’ conditions. There is a major opportunity for the business community to play a greater role in supporting employees with chronic conditions, improving their wellbeing and performance, while reducing costly problems like absenteeism and turnover.
“Creating work policies and practices that recognize caregiver responsibilities, reduce stigma through better employee support and improve workplace culture so employees are safe disclosing their conditions if needed may help create a healthier and more productive workforce.”
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Alan Goforth
Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
