I’m still waiting to get some responses to “Daddy Days”. Doesn’t anyone have a positive story to share? Oh, come on
Here’s a tidbit from my story. It took me 20 years, but I finally got it right. I could work, stay healthy and DO what I love — this business, cicoach.com. I get to talk with some really cool people (including my clients) who share a commitment in making the work world hospitable for the chronically ill (which amounts to 1 in 2 people!)
Last week, Isao Wakabayashi from the National Institute of Vocational Rehabilitation, Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities interviewed me … (Yup, that’s a picture he took to show his employers that he was actually in Boston on their dime — and not eating brioche in Paris. Too bad for him!)
Needless to say, I haven’t received many visitors from Japan in my office (a.k.a. home)– he brought gif … a hand fan (useful on a hot Oct. day) a purse mirror and a refrigerator magnet with lovely Japanese images. Not you typical American business meeting 🙂 — I was impressed.
Isao wanted to learn what we (United States) do to support workers with chronic illness. “Not much”. I know what I offer (individual career coaching ) — but I don’t hear of anything from an organization. Anyone know differently?
In Japan this category of employees (referred to as living with intractable disease) merits a government agency and research . Government policies , like our ADA, are limited in what they can do for the chronically ill.
Big Takeaway for me: Isao’s own research showed that most employees only talk about their illness with people they are “close” with at work. They reported that others don’t know anything about their disease and often respond with fear. People said that it was best to focus on how the disease affects them.
I’m hoping that the Japanese government will fly me to Japan so I can talk with them more about this. I’d love to taste the sushi there!
Rosalind
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