Employment for people with IBD
Chris Evans MP says says employers, health professionals and policy makers all have a role to play in ensuring Inflammatory Bowel Disease does not stop people realising their potential.
There are 250,000 people in the UK who suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Despite this, it is a subject that is very rarely spoken about.
Many of those who live with the condition suffer in silence; too embarrassed or afraid to speak openly about a condition which affects every aspect of their day to day life.
Even though many do not talk openly about their condition, some 78 per cent of IBD sufferers worry about their ability to manage their condition in the workplace.
While 36 per cent of people fear that their condition will result in them losing their job.
These fears are particularly prevalent in young people entering the workplace for the first time.
56 per cent of young people say their condition causes them to rule out some career options they might have otherwise considered.
At a time when more and more of our young people are struggling to find work, this is the last thing we need.
Since becoming involved in the campaign, I have heard story after story of young people who are not able to fulfil their potential due to this debilitating condition.
Some struggle to sit exams or go to university, while others find work with employers unsympathetic to their differing needs and requirements.
Heartbreakingly, many of those who do find work will be faced with periods where they are simply too ill to work.
As fluctuating symptoms are not reflected by the welfare system, those with varying conditions are faced with the choice of working when they are ill or having no income whatsoever.
Some 80 per cent of people with IBD report that they regularly attend work when they do not feel well enough to do so through fear of losing their jobs.
The silence around the condition exacerbates this problem when often; small changes in the workplace can make all the difference.
Some 83 per cent of people with IBD report that the ability to take frequent toilet breaks is important to them.
Similarly, 88 per cent of people with IBD say that the ability to take time off for hospital appointments would make a serious difference to their wellbeing at work.
Making sure that our benefits system accurately reflects the different needs and requirements of those with fluctuating health conditions is crucial to ensuring that those with IBD do not struggle to cope at work through their illness, or live in poverty when they are unable to work.
An understanding employer can also make all the difference. By making a few simple adjustments, employers can help people with IBD achieve their potential and be productive at work.
Ultimately, Inflammatory Bowel Disease does not have to hinder someone’s work potential. Employers, health professionals and policy makers all have a role to play in ensuring that there is a greater understanding for those with fluctuating conditions such as IBD.
Chris Evans has been Labour MP for Islwyn since 2010.
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