Health isn’t one-size-fits-all. We can’t all hit the genetic jackpot and have perfect teeth, a flat stomach, and zero seasonal allergies (but how nice does that sound?).

There are people who were either born with or developed something called an Invisible Illness. While there are countless examples, a few Invisible Illnesses (also referred to as Disabilities) you may have run into include Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn’s Disease, Depression, Chronic Migraine, PTSD, Lyme’s Disease, Autism, Endometriosis, Cystic Fibrosis, Epilepsy, and Lupus. You may not even know if an employee is living with cancer, since they have no legal obligation to disclose this to you. 

Why might an employee not disclose something that affects their daily life?

1. Stigma- Many mental illnesses and gender-specific afflictions can carry unfortunate stigmas and stereotypes. Health issues are extremely personal and can make someone feel alone, ashamed, stigmatized. 
2. Lack of Awareness- If you have a male supervisor, he may not know how to respond to the pain of Endometriosis. A 26 year old manager may not be able to relate to your struggle with Osteoporosis. Employees may want to avoid this conversation altogether if they don’t think you’ll be able to have an informed discussion.
3. Fear- Someone may not want to risk knowledge of their health issues spreading around the office for fear of changing their coworkers’ views of them. In a place where you spend eight hours, five days per week, it can be uncomfortable when your associates know intimate details of your life.

Of all people who suffer from an invisible illness, 60% of them fall within the working age range of 18-64.1 This means that employers need to step up their game when it comes to making reasonable accommodations for employees to thrive.