How to Deal With an Invisible Disability in the Workplace

Having an invisible disability in the workplace is a more common challenge than many people may assume. People living with an invisible disability may find it difficult to disclose their disability to an employer and open up to their colleagues around them, due to stigma, fear of discrimination, and comparison to those with visible disabilities. 

However, keeping an invisible disability in the dark only tends to lead to the employee involved having a worse time at work. It counts them out of getting the support they need and tends to have an overall negative effect on their work performance and experience. 

It is important that people with hidden disabilities know how to deal with them in the workplace so that they can get the best working experience possible. In this blog, we are going to talk about how exactly to do that.

Common Invisible Disabilities

There are many different invisible and hidden disabilities out there. It is always important to remember just how varied the term disability really is. Common invisible disabilities related to physical health include:

• Endometriosis
• Crohn’s and colitis
• Chronic fatigue
• Chronic pain and fibromyalgia
• Cystic fibrosis
• Deafness and hearing loss
• Epilepsy
• Lyme disease
• Arthritis
• Brain injuries
• HIV

Common mental health and neurodiversity-related disabilities include: 

• ADHD
• Autism
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Personality disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• PTSD
• Eating disorders
• Schizophrenia

Neither of these lists is by any means exhaustive. There are lots of invisible disabilities out there that have a significant impact on the person’s life and ability to function as other people may be able to. All of these disabilities also have a significant impact on a person’s ability to work and perform at work to the same level as others around them. 

Invisible Disabilities and the Law

Invisible and hidden disabilities are as protected by the law in the U.K. as visible disabilities. All disabilities are classified as protected characteristics by the Equality Act of 2010, which means people with disabilities are protected from discrimination and entitled to extra, equitable support. 

It is critical that you know your rights as a disabled person in the workplace. To read more about this and check what you are entitled to, check out our blog on the Equality Act for disabled employees. 

A major part of disabled employee support relates to reasonable adjustments. These are things that can be added or changed in the working environment, working duties or schedule of a disabled employee. These are intended to allow the employee to work more safely and fairly than they would be able to do otherwise. They also intend to even out any disadvantages or unnecessary barriers a disabled employee might be facing in the workplace. 

For example, if you have Crohn’s or colitis, reasonable adjustments that might work for you include:

• Disability-friendly toilets in the physical workplace
• Increased rest breaks or longer breaks 
• Time off for doctor appointments and treatment 
• Decreased workload in symptomatic periods
• Options for remote, hybrid, or flexible working

Every disabled person is legally entitled to ask their employer for reasonable adjustments they need at work. Doing so allows you to get the support you need and allows you to continue to work without sacrificing your own health and well-being. 

How to Deal with an Invisible Disability at Work

Having an invisible disability is never easy and each individual’s experience will have its own unique challenges. However, there are ways in which working with such a disability can become easier. 

Our tips for dealing with this situation are as follows. 

• Disclose your disability to your employer. While you may feel uncomfortable doing this at first, it is paramount if you are to get the support you need. For more specific information on this, check out our easy-read guide on how to disclose a disability to an employer. 

• Ask for the reasonable adjustments you need at the earliest opportunity. Create a collaborative plan with your employer that works for you and your needs. If your employer needs financial help to make such reasonable adjustments, then you can take a look at the Access to Work scheme and what you might be able to financially reclaim. 

• Take time off when you need to. If your absence is related to your disability or condition it is called Disability-Related Leave and this cannot be punished under Equality Law. If you are feeling unwell, in pain, or overwhelmed with symptoms, don’t put off taking the leave you need out of fear or anxiety. You are entitled to look after yourself so make sure you do so. 

• Keep a record of anything that happens that doesn’t sit right with you. If comments are made about you or your disability at work or you receive treatment that doesn’t feel fair, make sure to keep a record of everything and get witnesses if you can. If you need to make a complaint, having this evidence will be key. If you do need to make a complaint, try and deal with it internally first by talking to HR or your manager directly. If this doesn’t work, you may want to consider an employment tribunal. You can read more about this via Citizen’s Advice. 

• Make sure you have support in place outside of work too. Speak to your GP, local charities, organisations, and counsellors to make sure you have everything you need to manage your health and well-being both inside and outside of work. Having an invisible disability can be challenging in a range of ways so it is important that you take support everywhere you can get it. 

• Get a job that works for you. Finding a disability-friendly job with an accessible employer is the absolute best way to make sure you have everything you need at work. Keep reading our next section to find out just where to find such opportunities. 

Find a Disability-Friendly Opportunity Near You 

Everyone who has a disability will thrive at work much more easily in the right working environment. At Careers with Disabilities, we are passionate about making sure disabled people across the U.K. can find the best opportunities for themselves and their individual circumstances. 

If you are someone living with an invisible disability, you can check out our support and guidance for individual conditions via our Disability Advice Hub. 

You can also use our live disability-friendly job board and directory of accessible companies to find the perfect job for you and your needs.

Everyone deserves a job where they will be supported, respected and given all the equality they need. 

Find that job with us and our tools.