Kate Block
Sasha Cook
Kate Block’s question
Dear Sasha,
Since the pandemic, we have been seeing a marked increase in chronic, disabling illnesses. What can psychological research teach us about how people with chronic health challenges fair in the workplace and how we can support them?
Katharina
Sasha Cook’s answer
Dear Kate,
It’s complicated…
Chronic illnesses are indeed very common. In Europe, about one-third of the working-age population has at least one chronic health condition (European Commission Eurostat, 2025), and numbers are expected to rise.
One major challenge for organizations (and researchers) is dealing with the heterogeneity of chronic illnesses. Conditions can present with symptoms that may be persistent, recurring, or change over time (Beatty & Joffe, 2006). Two people with the same medical diagnosis can have very different experiences and trajectories, and they might need completely different accommodations at work. Some people also spend years in “diagnostic limbo,” where they are experiencing symptoms but do not know the underlying cause yet, adding uncertainty on top of the physical and/or psychological symptoms.
Despite this complexity, we can generally say that chronic health conditions are usually costly for those who have them (not in an economic sense… although, to be fair, sometimes in an economic sense too). Some illnesses (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) can affect mobility and physical functioning, while others (e.g., multiple sclerosis) can affect attention and memory. What’s more (because, of course, there’s more), managing an illness can cost time and effort. Appointments need to be planned and kept, and some illnesses (think type 1 diabetes) require constant self-monitoring and attention. This required effort, called the “burden of treatment” (Eton et al., 2012), can sometimes feel like having an extra job, but one that you can’t quit and that you never really applied for. All of these costs signify a loss of resources, which also means that people with chronic health conditions may be at a higher risk of burnout (Cook & Zill, 2024)
But what can organizations, supervisors, and colleagues do when it’s difficult to find “one-size-fits-all solutions”? Organizations can consider lowering barriers to accessing accommodations and support. This also means getting rid of the implicit assumption that if people are not “jumping through hoops” to access accommodations or individual solutions, their problems are not bad enough to really need them. Instead, we need a general understanding that people dealing with resource loss might not have the energy or capacity for complex, long-winded processes. Organizations should also keep this in mind when planning organizational health interventions, as poor health status is a known barrier to participation.
We also know that social relationships and social support at work are highly relevant. People who have a good personal relationship with their supervisor are more likely to disclose their health problems, and disclosure is often essential for accessing accommodations. A good psychosocial safety climate can also reduce the fear of stigmatization and is positively associated with mental health and work outcomes among people with chronic illnesses.
Of course, it is always hard to translate these insights into specific, real-life advice, but if I had to give some advice on how to be a supportive colleague, it would be:
- Listen carefully when a coworker shares that they have a chronic illness. Pay attention to what they tell you about their own experience. They know their situation best.
- Appreciate the trust. Disclosure can take a lot of courage, and it often isn’t easy to bring up at work.
- Check your assumptions. What you think you know about an illness may be incomplete, outdated, or simply not true for that person. Don’t decide what they need on their behalf. Ask what would help.
- Stay flexible when plans change. Most of us like to think we’re understanding, but it’s easy to slip into frustration when someone can’t perform as usual, especially at an inconvenient moment. Chronic illnesses don’t follow a schedule.
- Remember that resources vary. What feels like a small extra task to you might be more than someone else can manage, depending on their symptoms, energy, and workload that day.
Sasha
Sasha Cook’s question is for Lara Engelbert (Social Psychology)
Dear Lara,
We always hear that charisma matters (for example, in leadership), but how can one work on becoming more charismatic? Isn’t it all in the eye of the beholder?
Sasha
Kate Block’s question
Dear Sasha,
Since the pandemic, we have been seeing a marked increase in chronic, disabling illnesses. What can psychological research teach us about how people with chronic health challenges fair in the workplace and how we can support them?
Katharina
Sasha Cook’s answer
Dear Kate,
It’s complicated…
Chronic illnesses are indeed very common. In Europe, about one-third of the working-age population has at least one chronic health condition (European Commission Eurostat, 2025), and numbers are expected to rise.
One major challenge for organizations (and researchers) is dealing with the heterogeneity of chronic illnesses. Conditions can present with symptoms that may be persistent, recurring, or change over time (Beatty & Joffe, 2006). Two people with the same medical diagnosis can have very different experiences and trajectories, and they might need completely different accommodations at work. Some people also spend years in “diagnostic limbo,” where they are experiencing symptoms but do not know the underlying cause yet, adding uncertainty on top of the physical and/or psychological symptoms.
Despite this complexity, we can generally say that chronic health conditions are usually costly for those who have them (not in an economic sense… although, to be fair, sometimes in an economic sense too). Some illnesses (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) can affect mobility and physical functioning, while others (e.g., multiple sclerosis) can affect attention and memory. What’s more (because, of course, there’s more), managing an illness can cost time and effort. Appointments need to be planned and kept, and some illnesses (think type 1 diabetes) require constant self-monitoring and attention. This required effort, called the “burden of treatment” (Eton et al., 2012), can sometimes feel like having an extra job, but one that you can’t quit and that you never really applied for. All of these costs signify a loss of resources, which also means that people with chronic health conditions may be at a higher risk of burnout (Cook & Zill, 2024)
But what can organizations, supervisors, and colleagues do when it’s difficult to find “one-size-fits-all solutions”? Organizations can consider lowering barriers to accessing accommodations and support. This also means getting rid of the implicit assumption that if people are not “jumping through hoops” to access accommodations or individual solutions, their problems are not bad enough to really need them. Instead, we need a general understanding that people dealing with resource loss might not have the energy or capacity for complex, long-winded processes. Organizations should also keep this in mind when planning organizational health interventions, as poor health status is a known barrier to participation.
We also know that social relationships and social support at work are highly relevant. People who have a good personal relationship with their supervisor are more likely to disclose their health problems, and disclosure is often essential for accessing accommodations. A good psychosocial safety climate can also reduce the fear of stigmatization and is positively associated with mental health and work outcomes among people with chronic illnesses.
Of course, it is always hard to translate these insights into specific, real-life advice, but if I had to give some advice on how to be a supportive colleague, it would be:
- Listen carefully when a coworker shares that they have a chronic illness. Pay attention to what they tell you about their own experience. They know their situation best.
- Appreciate the trust. Disclosure can take a lot of courage, and it often isn’t easy to bring up at work.
- Check your assumptions. What you think you know about an illness may be incomplete, outdated, or simply not true for that person. Don’t decide what they need on their behalf. Ask what would help.
- Stay flexible when plans change. Most of us like to think we’re understanding, but it’s easy to slip into frustration when someone can’t perform as usual, especially at an inconvenient moment. Chronic illnesses don’t follow a schedule.
- Remember that resources vary. What feels like a small extra task to you might be more than someone else can manage, depending on their symptoms, energy, and workload that day.
Sasha
Sasha Cook’s question is for Lara Engelbert (Social Psychology)
Dear Lara,
We always hear that charisma matters (for example, in leadership), but how can one work on becoming more charismatic? Isn’t it all in the eye of the beholder?
Sasha
