Managing adrenal insufficiency, including Addison's disease, in the workplace requires understanding from your employer and team, good communication, and appropriate support to meet your individual needs.
To offer you appropriate support and reasonable adjustments in the workplace, your employer must understand your condition and how it might affect you.
Whilst you might not identify as having a disability, people with Addison's and adrenal insufficiency are covered by the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010, or, if you live in Northern Ireland, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. This is because adrenal insufficiency, including Addison's disease, is generally a lifelong condition, and it can seriously affect a person's ability to do normal day-to-day activities. It is fatal if left untreated.
Some workplaces have a first aider whom you may wish to inform, and let them know about your emergency injection kit. In other cases, you may prefer to share the information with a colleague. However, due to the risk of adrenal crisis, a life-threatening emergency, it is strongly recommended to share your diagnosis with someone in the workplace and help to build the appropriate support in the case of an emergency.
You may need to provide medical evidence (e.g. a letter from your GP or Endocrine Team) confirming your diagnosis and ongoing care requirements.)
Signpost your employer to more information about your condition:
With support from the Clinical Advisory Panel, we have put together a leaflet for employers of someone with adrenal insufficiency, covering information about Addison's and adrenal insufficiency, adrenal crisis, disability law and best practice in employment
The support you need will differ from the support someone else with Addison's or adrenal insufficiency might need. This depends on other health conditions you may have, how effective your medication is, and how long you have been diagnosed.
Your needs may not be constant, and you need to be able to review them regularly with your employer to explore whether there are reasonable adjustments that can be made at work to support you and allow you to work optimally.
It's not enough for employers to provide a person with a disability with the same working conditions as non-disabled people. Employers must make reasonable adjustments by law.
This means potentially:
Practical examples might include;
If you feel you are being treated unfairly at work, it is important to share your concerns with your line manager or HR representative at the earliest opportunity so that communication channels stay open and you can both problem-solve to find a way forward.
You may want to:
If an informal approach does not work, then as an employee, you will be able to submit a formal grievance under your employer's grievance procedure, stating the reasons why you feel you are being penalised due to your disability.
We would advise you to seek support and advice from experts in this scenario - see options below.
An opportunity for you to share your needs, and for them to listen. Regular review of your needs. Respecting your wishes regarding confidentiality around your condition.
Creating a culture that is inclusive and enabling, with suitable policies in place to give clarity (e.g. disability policy).
Provision of disability leave for disability related absences.
Discussion around adrenal crisis management: Awareness of, and access to your emergency injection kit. Understanding how to support you to prevent adrenal crisis, and an action plan to follow if you have an adrenal crisis.
A 20-page practical guide including all the key information to support you to be aware, be prepared and be understood.
