Comments on: Daddy days? How about chronic illness days? http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/28/daddy-days-how-about-chronic-illness-days/ Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:57:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Rosalind http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/28/daddy-days-how-about-chronic-illness-days/#comment-1314 Rosalind Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:55:46 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2007/10/28/daddy-days-how-about-chronic-illness-days/#comment-1314 The good news is HR was responsive and you got support. A supportive boss is the most important element in the equation. It doesn' t matter what the organizational message is your boss makes or breaks your day. The good news is HR was responsive and you got support. A supportive boss is the most important element in the equation. It doesn’ t matter what the organizational message is your boss makes or breaks your day.

]]> By: ErinM http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/28/daddy-days-how-about-chronic-illness-days/#comment-1313 ErinM Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:30:59 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2007/10/28/daddy-days-how-about-chronic-illness-days/#comment-1313 I wish I could say that my experience has been positive. Unfortunately, I feel like the attitude is more negative... or not talked about at all. I've been "talked to" about my attendance even though I was well within my sick time allowance. Naturally, I reported this to HR and my employer was immeidately educated on what "SICK time" means. I also work for a very large organization so those things called "compassion" and "understanding" are widely absent. I wish I could say that my experience has been positive. Unfortunately, I feel like the attitude is more negative… or not talked about at all. I’ve been “talked to” about my attendance even though I was well within my sick time allowance. Naturally, I reported this to HR and my employer was immeidately educated on what “SICK time” means.
I also work for a very large organization so those things called “compassion” and “understanding” are widely absent.

]]> By: Diana Brice http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/28/daddy-days-how-about-chronic-illness-days/#comment-1312 Diana Brice Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:05:02 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2007/10/28/daddy-days-how-about-chronic-illness-days/#comment-1312 I have to say that my experience with working with chronic illness has been more positive than negative. When I was first diagnosed with lupus in 1993 I was very ill but wanted to work anyway. When I returned to work I was really unable to perform my duties so my colleagues agree to take most of my reference desk hours and I just did enough to keep my oars in until I got better. This lasted about six months. At the outset I let everyone know that I had lupus so if they noticed any strange behavior on my part they would know what was going on. In every job since then I have made it clear at the outset that I had lupus and that sometimes I wouldn't be able to perform as expected and asked my staff to understand. The fact that I was in management no doubt made it easier for me since I in essence made the rules. In my current position my director is very cooperative in allowing me to take care of myself. Not everyone here "understands" what it means to have work with a chronic illness and that does bother me, but all in all I think that I am more fortunate than others who have no support at all in the workplace. I have to say that my experience with working with chronic illness has been more positive than negative. When I was first diagnosed with lupus in 1993 I was very ill but wanted to work anyway. When I returned to work I was really unable to perform my duties so my colleagues agree to take most of my reference desk hours and I just did enough to keep my oars in until I got better. This lasted about six months. At the outset I let everyone know that I had lupus so if they noticed any strange behavior on my part they would know what was going on. In every job since then I have made it clear at the outset that I had lupus and that sometimes I wouldn’t be able to perform as expected and asked my staff to understand. The fact that I was in management no doubt made it easier for me since I in essence made the rules. In my current position my director is very cooperative in allowing me to take care of myself. Not everyone here “understands” what it means to have work with a chronic illness and that does bother me, but all in all I think that I am more fortunate than others who have no support at all in the workplace.

]]> By: Rosalind http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/28/daddy-days-how-about-chronic-illness-days/#comment-1311 Rosalind Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:25:30 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2007/10/28/daddy-days-how-about-chronic-illness-days/#comment-1311 Yes, Julie, I think your situation is the exception. I do find, based on my clients experiences, that it tends to be easier in smaller organizations. I wonder if others think so? As for the 1 in 2 statistic. Check the link - restministries.com - that I gave. I looked at the RWJ Foundation study and they're defining it broadly, as is commonly accepted, which it should be -- as anything that is longer than a year, doesn't go away and needs some kind of medical treatment. I'd say that those factors ABSOLUTELY affect what we CAN DO -- meaning how we work and what we produce. Yes, Julie, I think your situation is the exception. I do find, based on my clients experiences, that it tends to be easier in smaller organizations. I wonder if others think so?

As for the 1 in 2 statistic. Check the link - restministries.com - that I gave. I looked at the RWJ Foundation study and they’re defining it broadly, as is commonly accepted, which it should be — as anything that is longer than a year, doesn’t go away and needs some kind of medical treatment. I’d say that those factors ABSOLUTELY affect what we CAN DO — meaning how we work and what we produce.

]]> By: Julie http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2007/10/28/daddy-days-how-about-chronic-illness-days/#comment-1310 Julie Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:50:16 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2007/10/28/daddy-days-how-about-chronic-illness-days/#comment-1310 Rosalind, I wonder about that 1 in 2 statistic. It's an interesting number, but who does it include? Children with chronic illnesses are treated so differently, I would guess because their thoughts and feelings are not considered to be as developed as those of adults, not to mention the obvious fact that they don't have many legal rights. And, oddly, the elderly are treated in much the same way, though I expect this to change with the aging of the baby boomer generation. Then there are a lot of people who don't work at all due to their chronic illness, and while many could argue that they are the ones who we should most be working to accommodate, mainstream culture would rather ignore this group, probably in the hope that if they don't acknowledge it, then it can't happen to them. And then there are the people who have chronic illnesses and work. I'm guessing the number of people in the workplace with chronic illnesses is well under 1:2. And since our culture sees employment as equating to having value in society, that very much affects how much (or, I should say, how little) weight is given to everyone else's voices. So even if the true ratio of people with chronic illness to those without is 1:2, I'm guessing the ratio of those considered to be "worth" helping is much lower. Now, that said, I do need to say that I have a very supportive work environment. I've been able to speak openly about my illnesses and my coworkers have been incredibly supportive. Unfortunately, I think my situation is the exception, not the rule. Thanks Rosalind, Julie Rosalind,
I wonder about that 1 in 2 statistic. It’s an interesting number, but who does it include?

Children with chronic illnesses are treated so differently, I would guess because their thoughts and feelings are not considered to be as developed as those of adults, not to mention the obvious fact that they don’t have many legal rights.

And, oddly, the elderly are treated in much the same way, though I expect this to change with the aging of the baby boomer generation.

Then there are a lot of people who don’t work at all due to their chronic illness, and while many could argue that they are the ones who we should most be working to accommodate, mainstream culture would rather ignore this group, probably in the hope that if they don’t acknowledge it, then it can’t happen to them.

And then there are the people who have chronic illnesses and work. I’m guessing the number of people in the workplace with chronic illnesses is well under 1:2. And since our culture sees employment as equating to having value in society, that very much affects how much (or, I should say, how little) weight is given to everyone else’s voices.

So even if the true ratio of people with chronic illness to those without is 1:2, I’m guessing the ratio of those considered to be “worth” helping is much lower.

Now, that said, I do need to say that I have a very supportive work environment. I’ve been able to speak openly about my illnesses and my coworkers have been incredibly supportive. Unfortunately, I think my situation is the exception, not the rule.

Thanks Rosalind,
Julie

]]>