Chronic illness at work has a major effect of employees and their workplace - Effects have been hidden and minimized

By: Tom Cloyd - 4 min. read (Published: 2025-03-24; reviewed: 2025-03-27:1235 Pacific Time (USA))

Page contents…

• Study overview ^
• Major findings ^
• Implications - and it’s worse than it looks ^
• References ^
• Notes ^

Study overview ^{^}

A major new study of employees in the American workplace has found that chronic illness has a greater impact on their work and life than most previously known. The study involved a carefully constructed probability sample so that the results would represent the larger population of Interest.

“Chronic illnesses have long been a top public health problem facing employers in the U.S. Though businesses may be generally aware that this issue affects their workforce, the day-to-day impacts on workers and their jobs are often hidden, obscuring the true need for support. To better understand the experiences and challenges of managing chronic conditions at work, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation conducted a national poll, U.S. Employee Perspectives on Managing Chronic Conditions in the Workplace. Results can inform opportunities for employers to strengthen and support their workforce as well as reduce the burdens of high stress, absenteeism, and turnover. This poll was conducted October 2–16, 2024, among a probability-based, nationally representative sample of more than 1,000 adults ages 18 and older, who work full-time or part-time at organizations with 50 or more employees.

“Poll findings show there are widespread, and frequently hidden, challenges to managing chronic conditions for the U.S. workforce today. Further, many employees are also managing their family members’ conditions. There is a major opportunity for the business community to play a greater role in supporting employees with chronic conditions, improving their well-being and performance, while reducing costly problems like absenteeism and turnover. Specifically, enhanced earned paid leave policies, flexibility when possible, and adequate breaks during work hours would help employees who are managing chronic conditions themselves or for family members. Creating work policies and practices that recognize caregiver responsibilities, reduce stigma through better employee support, and improve workplace culture so employees are safe disclosing their conditions if needed may help create a healthier and more productive workforce.”¹

Gillian SteelFisher, director of the Harvard Opinion Research Program and principal research scientist at Harvard’s public health school, told UPI (United Press International) “We hope these results highlight new opportunities for employers to support and strengthen their workforce.”²

Major findings ^{^}

Significant major findings include:

• The majority of employees with chronic health conditions have not informed their employers.
• For the majority of employees, their chronic health condition has required significant time and effort for management at work.
• More than a third of employees with such conditions have had to compromise or limit healthcare to keep up with work demands.
• For about a third of such employees, their health conditions have limited their involvement in special projects, compromised their opportunities for promotion, or resulted in negative workplace performance reviews.

Implications - and it’s worse than it looks ^{^}

These findings have significant implications for the improvement of workplace conditions and strengthening of the American workforce. At least two concerns need employer attention: Accommodations for employees sick at work would improve their work experience, and likely their work results, and accommodations allowing better access to healthcare outside of work would likely have the same effect.

There’s more: It’s noteworthy that the findings from this study involved consideration only of physical health conditions. Mental health conditions were explicitly excluded. Had they been included the findings would have been even more serious.

References ^{^}

De Beaumont Foundation & Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2025, February). U.S. employee perspectives on managing chronic conditions in the workplace. Harvard University. https://hsph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dBF-HSPH-Employee-Chronic-Conditions-Poll-February-2025.pdf (full text download)

Kreimer, S. (2025, February 11). Vast numbers of workers suffer from chronic conditions, Harvard poll finds. https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2025/02/11/workers-chronic-conditions-harvard-poll/5741739221725/

Notes ^{^}

 

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