Managing chronic illness at work: an exploratory investigation on the UK employees

Effective employer and employee management of chronic illness in the workplace is a key issue in many countries
around the world. One in three people in the UK manage at least one chronic illness and an estimated 15% of the working-age population has a chronic illness or disability. This talk will identify and map how chronic illnesses are managed within UK organizations. In this study data were collected from 759 employees of four large organizations with a diagnosed chronic illness. Four categories of self-managing health behaviors were examined: using prescribed medication, monitoring and responding to symptoms, managing an appropriate diet and exercising. The research finding will help to build a conceptual framework of best practice in the management of chronic illness at work, which incorporates both job retention and return to work (reintegration) measures.