Invisible Illnesses

What are they, and how are they managed?

As the name suggests, an invisible illness is one that is not obvious to the naked eye, and the person affected may look and present as perfectly healthy, but what is reflected on the outside is rarely the case. If you manage a team then this is a must read on how to how to manage the people and operational impacts of a team affected by these illnesses.

When you step back and consider illnesses like diabetes, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, Crohn’s Disease and mental health conditions - there are more people affected by invisible illness than physical illness. So why do we as a society have a lower tolerance to supporting employees in the workplace that are affected by these debilitating conditions? Bias, lack of empathy, lack of understanding?

Let’s change the dialogue – just because we cannot see it, doesn’t mean that the pain and suffering isn’t real. People with these illnesses simply cannot adopt a ‘more positive attitude’ to heal themselves.

With October recognised as Mental Health Awareness month – lets broaden our topic of conversation to include all invisible illnesses and discuss how we can support our employees in the workplace.

Do I need to provide support to an employee who has an illness that is unrelated to the workplace?

Not usually, but there are exceptions.

In Australia, if an employee has more than 12 months service and has a diagnosed “disability”, then the employee has a workplace right to request a Flexible Working Arrangement under the Fair Work Act 2009. There is no requirement to provide or even consider this flexibility if the employee has less than 12 months service. In New Zealand, the law does not require an employer to keep an employee in the role if they cannot fulfill their duties due to illness or injury.

In both countries there are rules around best practices to end employment due to an employee not being able to fulfil duties as a result of illness or injury. This is a topic for another day (but Streamline HR are able to help in the interim if you need support).

We challenge you to consider how you currently support your employees with temporary accommodations due to invisible (and visible) illnesses. At the end of the day, an employee that is supported through their time of need is more likely to remain productive, recover faster and take less time away from work for personal leave.

What sorts of temporary accommodations should, or could I offer?

We always recommend you work with the employee’s treating health practitioner to ensure you are providing the best support, and do not inadvertently make matters worse. After this confirmation put the terms to a letter ensuring:

• the temporary changes are clearly detailed, and why these changes have been made,

• confirm the length of the temporary change, and whether it may or may not be extended,

• set review dates for the purpose of ensuring it continues to meet the needs of both the business and the employee,

• that the agreement can be cancelled with notice if it no longer is serving the needs of the business, or the individual, and,

• the employee is still required to meet both performance and conduct expectations.

When considering the types of accommodations you could make, these can include changes to:

• Working hours - reduced hours, change the start or finish times of a shift, roster to a set shift (day/night).

• Location of work - can the employee work from home, or is there a different location they could access? Do they need to sit closer to a bathroom, lunchroom, first aid room, or simply be in a quiet space?

• Duties undertaken - can some of these duties be completed by others, can they take on the work of other employees?

• Provision of breaks - or time off work for regular specialist appointments.

• Not every person with an invisible illness needs support. When considering mental health in particular - 43% Australians and 47% of New Zealanders are expected to experience a mental illness at some point in their lifetime – and very few are asking for support in the workplace.

Check in - Do you have an unconscious bias to mental health illnesses?

With reported mental health illness on the rise, many employers hold the belief that they will need to ignore or tip toe around an employee that does not uphold the expected standard of conduct if they are retained in the workplace. This belief is flawed. Most people experiencing a mental health episode will suffer in silence due to the stigma that surrounds their condition.

As an employer you have an obligation to provide a safe workplace to both employees with illnesses and the other employees or customers they work with. So, if conduct or performance are not on point, you should manage it.

Resources for support with mental health

We encourage all employers to consider taking their senior teams through Mental Health First Aid Training. Please refer to a recent SHR LinkedIn post here, for an opportunity to express your interest in participating in a group Mental Health First Aid course with us in the new year!

Tania Thompson

Consultant, Streamline HR