Managing employees with chronic illness

Brennan

et al. 2019

IJWHM

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the patterns of self-disclosure of long-term conditions at work by health professionals in a large regional health service. Recent research by the authors has reported on the self-reported long-term conditions of nursing, medical and allied health staff within a large regional hospital and health service in North Queensland, Australia. Data regarding self-disclosure of health information were gathered during those two previous studies, but has yet to be reported. This current study thus offers the opportunity to explore and describe patterns of self-disclosure by a multi-disciplinary cohort of health professionals within that regional health service.Design/methodology/approachThis current study was a component of two larger studies, reported elsewhere, which explored long-term conditions among health professional staff at a large regional health service in North Queensland, Australia. A cross-sectional survey design was used.FindingsDecision-making associated with self-disclosure of long-term conditions by health professional staff in the workplace is multifactorial, and affected by considerations of age, gender, workplace circumstances and nature of the health condition. It also differs according to professional grouping. The medical profession were less likely than nurses and allied health workers to disclose to their work colleagues. Respondents with a mental health condition were more cautious and selective in their disclosures, and alone in being more likely to disclose to their supervisor than to colleagues; they were also most likely to value the sympathy and understanding of their colleagues and managers.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was conducted across only one large regional health service; a fuller picture of patterns of self-disclosure of long-term conditions by health professional staff would be gained by expanding the number of sites to include metropolitan hospitals, smaller rural or remote health services and non-hospital settings.Practical implicationsHealthcare organizations need to develop support strategies and communication processes so that staff with one or more long-term condition, particularly those that have associated stigma, are empowered to disclose information to line managers and colleagues without fear of discrimination, ostracism, incivility or bullying.Originality/valueThere is a paucity of evidence about self-disclosure of long-term conditions by health professionals and this study therefore makes an important contribution to the extant literature. The findings raise important questions about the culture and dynamics of health care organizations in respect to the patterns of self-disclosure of health professional staff.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Conceal or reveal? Patterns of self-disclosure of long-term conditions at work by health professionals in a large regional Australian health service

Brennan

et al. 2019

IJWHM

The Career Development Quart

“…An additional challenge is that those with chronic illness may not be sure whom to turn to for support to make work‐related decisions; they may have more knowledge about the impact of their illness on work than their human resources department (Singh et al., 2018); and they may fear how disclosure could be used against them in the workplace, thereby making colleagues and supervisors potentially unsafe spaces for processing the impact of their illness (Royster & Marshall, 2008; Raque et al., 2021). Further, health care staff and supports (e.g., nurse navigators and social workers) may not be able to give them the concrete answers related to work that workers are seeking.…”

Section: Chronic Health Issues and Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Workplace culture may be reimagined to better integrate the diverse needs of all employees, including those with health concerns. Motivations for organizations to address workplace discrimination include increasing productivity, improving worker attitudes and well‐being, fostering inclusive work culture, and avoiding discrimination claims (McGonagle et al., 2016; Singh et al., 2018).…”

Section: Psychology Of Working Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

An application of psychology of working theory to chronic health issues: Importance of decent work

Raque,

Wright,

Duffy

2024

This paper presents psychology of working theory (PWT) as a framework for addressing career concerns faced by those with chronic health issues. PWT is a relevant framework for contextualizing the lived experiences of clients navigating work and chronic illness. Specifically, individuals with chronic health conditions may face additional barriers to their career development and are at risk for higher incidences of workplace discrimination, job stress, and job loss. Core elements of PWT outlined in this paper are applied to a case study of a client with breast cancer. More specifically, the constructs of decent work, critical consciousness, and career adaptability are applied at the level of the individual and systemic interventions. Issues of equity, access, intersectionality, power, and privilege are highlighted as they relate to the context of work. We offer suggestions for advocacy for career counselors working with clients with chronic illness navigating work and careers.

“…Chronically ill employees (CIEs) constitute the fastest growing, and one of the largest, minority segments at work worldwide (Singh et al , 2018), contributing up to a quarter of the EU workforce in 2017 (Eurofound, 2019). Physical chronic illnesses (such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer and arthritis) are of long duration, slow progression and can last for decades.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engaging chronically ill employees at work: the relationship between bundles of HR practices, perceived illness discrimination and work engagement

Innocenti

Profili

Sammarra

2023

PurposeThis study aims to examine the role that four distinct bundles (developmental, utilisation, maintenance and accommodative) of HRM practices play in enhancing work engagement among chronically ill employees, and to analyse whether perceptions of discrimination on the grounds of illness can affect these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through a quantitative survey using a sample of 669 chronically ill employees of a major Italian company.FindingsThis study's findings confirm the importance of discerning between positive, insignificant and negative effects of distinct HR bundles on chronically ill employees' work engagement. Furthermore, this study's results suggest that the positive effect of utilisation practices (i.e. practices aimed at enabling employees to make full use of existing, but not yet necessarily utilised, individual resources) on engagement is greater when chronically ill employees perceive a discrimination-free work environment.Research limitations/implicationsThis study's findings confirm the importance of discerning between positive, no, and negative effects of distinct HR bundles on chronically ill employees' work engagement. Furthermore, this study's results suggest that the positive effect of utilisation practices (i.e. practices aimed at enabling employees to make full use of existing but not necessarily applied individual resources) on engagement is greater when chronically ill employees perceive a discrimination-free work environment.Originality/valueThe study highlights those HR bundles that have the capacity to positively affect the work engagement of chronically ill employees, a minority group rarely considered in HRM studies. Furthermore, the research identifies perceived discrimination on the grounds of illness as a contextual condition that may hinder the otherwise positive effect of HRM practices on the engagement of workers suffering from a chronic illness.