When Do You Disclose Chronic Illnesses at Work?

When an acute or chronic health issue disrupts our work life, how do we let our bosses and coworkers know? How vulnerable should we be? And, as managers, how do we best support an employee who discloses a diagnosis? We talk with two women who’ve had to consider these questions while navigating illnesses, and they share advice on disclosing and discussing health issues with colleagues.

Guests: 

Maureen Hoch is the editor of HBR.org and the supervising editor of Women at Work.

Laurie Edwards is a writer, a writing instructor at Northeastern University, and an advocate for people with chronic illnesses. Her books are Life Disrupted and In the Kingdom of the Sick.

Resources:

• “What to Do When Your Employee Is Diagnosed with Cancer,” by Anne Sugar
• “How to Welcome an Employee Back from Medical Leave,” by Anne Sugar
• “Medical Leaves,” from Dear HBR:
• “8 Ways Managers Can Support Employees’ Mental Health,” by Kelly Greenwood and Natasha Krol
• “Your Employee Tested Positive for Covid-19. What Do You Do?” by Alisa Cohn