Is your career at odds with your health? Research shows that people with chronic conditions are 30% less likely to stay employed long-term, and in the UK, 36% of the workforce has at least one chronic illness affecting their ability to work.
In today’s episode, we explore what it really means to navigate a career with a chronic illness: the identity shifts, stigma, and the challenge of balancing ambition and workplace pressures with an unpredictable body. We’ll also discuss when to disclose your condition, what employers can do to create truly inclusive workplaces, and how to build a sustainable career without sacrificing your health. Listen now!
(00:00) Intro
(01:48) When your body no longer matches your ambitions
(04:31) Grieving your identity
(07:51) 2 stereotypes of chronic illness
(09:43) The ‘inbetweener’ struggle
(10:53) Financial & psychological costs of work instability
(12:03) Needing support vs wanting to appear well at work
(12:49) Guilt and the pressure to "recover"
(14:47) Fear of judgement from colleagues
(16:43) Inadequacy of terms like ‘fatigue’
(17:43) The body’s faulty battery
(18:47) Time & energy conflicts with a full-time job
(19:52) Why employers should care
(20:56) What employers can do
(24:43) Minimising employer contribution to chronic illness
(25:52) How to build a successful career with a chronic condition
(29:36) To disclose or not to disclose - when, how & whether to tell employers about your condition(s)
(33:32) What should you ask your employer for?
(34:40) Wrap-up: Your career, your terms
Follow on Instagram: @thehiddenhealthcode
For business enquiries: thehiddenhealthcode@outlook.com
Music by Magiksolo
REFERENCES
https://astriid.org/reports/making-employment-work-with-long-term-conditions/
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/can-flexible-job-design-help-people-with-fluctuating-disabilities