If you live with chronic pain or chronic illness, here are some tips that can help you while searching for jobs.
As of 2020, around half of the UK’s population (45.7% of men and 50.1% of women) reported having some kind of ongoing health problem. In addition, one study suggested that around 34% of the population suffers from chronic pain. Though prevalence of chronic pain increases with age, around 16% of those aged 16-24 are affected. That’s millions of young people!
If you live with chronic pain or any kind of chronic illness, you might be wondering how it will impact your job search or your journey into the world of work. There are a few special considerations you’ll need to bear in mind, but your health condition does not mean you can’t succeed and thrive at work.
Read on for some of our top tips on navigating the job hunting process with chronic pain or chronic illness.
Know Your Rights
If you are disabled (defined under the Equality Act 2010 as having “a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities”), it is important to know what your rights are.
It is illegal for an employer to refuse to hire you, to discriminate against you at work, or to let you go because of your health condition as long as you can perform the essential functions of your job with reasonable adjustments. (Examples of reasonable adjustments might include moving your workspace to a wheelchair-accessible area, providing an accessible parking space, providing you with adapted computer equipment, or giving you flexible working arrangements.)
An employer also has the responsibility to ensure you are free from bullying and harassment at work.
Think About What Adjustments You Will Need
If you are offered a job and have disclosed a disability or health condition, you should be asked if you will need any reasonable adjustments at work. Though these adjustments might vary depending on the exact nature of the work, it can be useful to have a think about what you might need well before you are offered a job.
For example, perhaps you have regular medical appointments to manage your condition that sometimes fall during the working day and will need time off for these. You might need materials offered in an alternate format (such as Braille, audio, or large print), a particular type of computer chair that will help to reduce your pain, or the ability to work from home some of the time. All of these things should be discussed and negotiated at the offer stage.
Consider Remote Jobs
The Covid-19 pandemic proved that many more jobs can be performed from home than previously thought, and many employers continue to offer completely or partially remote work. If you have a chronic illness or pain condition, working from home can be a great way to manage your health and your energy reserves–you will not need to expend energy on commuting, and you may be able to wear more comfortable clothes and feel more relaxed in an environment that is familiar and safe. Over time, this can make a big difference to your overall state of health.
When you are job hunting, think about whether a remote job would be a good fit for you. You can often filter for remote positions on jobs boards, or ask employers about their work-from-home policies at the application or interview stage.
Look for Disability Confident Employers
Disability Confident is a government scheme designed to encourage employers to think differently about disability and to improve their recruitment, retention, and career development practices for disabled people. The scheme has three levels, and employers must complete each one before moving up to the next.
Disability Confident employers must commit to actions such as inclusive and accessible recruitment, reasonable adjustments, support for existing employees who are or become disabled, and reporting on disability, mental health, and wellbeing in the workplace.
Looking for Disability Confident employers will help you to feel assured that your prospective workplace will support you and value your contributions. You can find current Disability Confident employers here.
Choose When to Disclose
Deciding when (or if) to disclose your chronic illness or health condition is a very personal choice and you are not obligated to do so if you don’t want to. You do not owe your prospective employer information about your health unless it has direct health and safety implications for the job (for example, people on certain medications cannot legally drive or operate heavy machinery.)
Some employers offer a “guaranteed interview” to any applicant who discloses a disability and meets the essential criteria for a role. If this is you, disclosing can work to your advantage. But if you are worried about discrimination or just don’t want to have a conversation about your health with an employer, you are perfectly entitled to keep the information to yourself.
Don’t Be Ashamed
Your health condition is not something that you need to feel guilty or apologise for. When you disclose it to a prospective employer, be as matter-of-fact as you can. For example, you might say something like “I wanted to let you know I use a wheelchair so will need my interview to be in an accessible location” or “I have a standing essential medical appointment on a Thursday morning once per month.”
A good employer will be grateful that you have shared your needs and will work to accommodate you to the best of their ability. An employer who is not receptive to supporting you, or who discriminates against you because of your illness, is breaking the law (and is also giving you the valuable information that they are not someone you want to work for!)
Manage Your Energy While You Job-Hunt
Job hunting can be tiring and demoralising, especially if you have been searching for a while. If you have a chronic health condition, this could have a particularly strong impact on you. It’s important to take care of yourself and manage your energy levels carefully while you job-search.
Be gentle and realistic with yourself. How long can you safely and healthily spend on your job search each day? What can you do to refill your reserves during your downtime? It’s important not to push yourself beyond your capacity, as this can make your symptoms worse. It’s also very normal to have good days and bad days, so don’t worry if you can do a lot one day and then much less the next.
Remember How Much You Have to Offer
Unfortunately, discrimination against those with disabilities and chronic health conditions is still far more prevalent than it should be. This means you may well have encountered ableism (disability discrimination or negative biases) at some point.
But you are not defined by your health condition. You have so much to offer as an employee, a colleague, and an individual. Try to keep this in mind as you job-hunt and remember that any employer would be lucky to have you.
Be as kind to yourself as you can, and believe in yourself.
