Small changes can help people feel more fulfilled in work

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of empathy, of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and walking a mile in them.

It started as I began writing the report we published this week, entitled ‘Health warning for employers: supporting older workers with health conditions’. Our research found that many employers aren’t properly supporting older workers when they experience long-term physical and mental health conditions. Not all older workers have a health condition, but those who do are dealing with things like musculoskeletal disorders or chronic breathing problems – and many people are managing multiple conditions simultaneously.

Shockingly, our research found that a quarter of people aged 55 and over who are still in work are considering leaving because of a health condition.

When asked what would help them to stay in work, empathy and understanding from employers came through in our research as one of the most important things.

Poor workplace cultures and overly bureaucratic procedures are causing many people to put off speaking to their employer about their health until the last minute.

And lots of the people we spoke to felt embarrassed about telling their colleagues about a health condition or told us about negative reactions they’d faced.

One person we interviewed, a sales manager with osteoarthritis, told us about the comments that they’d received such as, 'Come on. Get on with it' or 'What’s the matter with you?' They had been given handguards to help with the pain caused by the condition, but these attracted attention and in some cases ridicule from co-workers. This left them feeling unable to talk about their condition at work.

In another example, we heard about a woman who was suffering badly from menopause symptoms and was trying to hide them at work, left 'grimacing in the corner' as a result. Her manager brought her into the office and explained, 'Look, we’re a young, vibrant team here, we don’t want anyone letting the side down' – displaying a shocking lack of empathy for someone in obvious pain.

We also met one employee who was told not to discuss a mental health condition they had taken time off work to seek help with. On returning to work, the employee was told to say they’d been off with a virus, with the company explaining they didn’t want colleagues to know they’d been off with a mental illness.

A common thread through all of these is a fundamental lack of empathy. A failure of colleagues and managers to ask, 'How would I feel if I was in their shoes?'

It doesn’t have to be like this. With a focused effort, and a commitment to change, employers can create the supportive environment that our research found is so important.

The first thing employers need to do is normalise conversations around health and create an empathetic and open workplace culture when it comes to managing health conditions.

Managers play a key role in creating a supportive environment – both at an organisational level in championing good practice, and at an individual level in how they treat their employees who are managing health conditions.

Having a conversation with your employee about their health needs to be just that, a conversation. A process of listening to the person and understanding their circumstances, rather than being a check-in to tick a box in corporate procedure.

These conversations then need to translate into action. The adjustments that people needed to continue in work were often small and inexpensive – whether it’s provision of a fan or handguard, or a move to flexible hours.

Employers should be proactively and consistently applying these adjustments, helping everyone that works for them to make the most of their job for as long as possible. They also need to make sure adjustments and support are sustained over time – beyond the initial call for help.

And it’s important to remember that older workers aren't defined by – and don't need to be limited in – their ability to do their job by their health conditions.