Living with UC in the Workplace

The Voices of UC study shows that UC flares may get in the way of work. Patients who participated in the survey say they miss many days of work, yet may not always tell their co-workers or boss why.

Missed work: 46% of people said they were less productive at work in the past year because of their UC symptoms. More than one third miss work days because of flares. Average time lost was nearly 2 work weeks, or 9.5 days.

A secret: More than 25% of patients spend time and energy making sure the people they work with don’t know about their UC. About one third say their bosses and co-workers don’t know about their UC. It’s an even bigger secret now than it was in 2005 when 24% said their bosses were unaware and 21% said their co-workers didn’t know about their UC.

Ideas to help you in the workplace with UC

• Is your boss in the loop?

  • Nobody wants to ask for special treatment at work. But if UC is making you miss work or do less, you may want to talk to your boss and explain what is happening so he or she can understand your condition and possibly be more accommodating.

• Try some changes

  • Making small changes may make a big difference. For instance, consider asking for a desk close to the bathroom. Avoid scheduling meetings at lunch or other times when you may have stomach issues. If you have to travel, build in extra time to lower stress and allow for bathroom breaks. Think “How can I…?” instead of “I can’t….”

• Have a plan

  • Consider talking to your boss about what you will do if a flare-up occurs. How will your work get done? What kind of help will you need? Think about asking for ways you can make up lost time. For instance, maybe you can work from home some days or do different tasks on days you have flares. You may want to find out if time off will be paid.

• Be your own manager

  • To prevent any issues caused by a sudden absence, plan to do extra and get ahead of projects so flares don’t make you miss deadlines. When UC does keep you from work, be sure to let everyone know the status of projects. Help solve problems caused by your absence, and talk about how you plan to catch up.

• Know your rights

  • It’s not legal to take action against a worker because of any kind of illness. But it does happen sometimes. Know your rights. But be aware of your company’s rights too. If you’re missing a lot of work, you need to let them know why. To learn more about your rights in the workplace, visit www.ada.gov.