Is this new job market good for us, the chronically ill?

Lately, there’s a news story citing ‘unprecedented changes’ in the job market’ everywhere I look.  But I can’t help but wonder, is this good for those of us who live with chronic illness?  I don’t know.  But let’s look at what’s different and what it might mean. 

A change:  Large and small businesses, whole industries, in fact, are struggling to stay afloat because they don’t have enough workers – from low wage, hourly jobs to professional and C suite. 

• David Leonhardt, in a recent New York Times article, wrote, “A shortage of bus drivers has forced school districts to combine routes. A lack of servers has caused restaurants to reduce hours …the checkout lines at supermarkets, drugstores and other retailers have grown.  … The U.S. does not have a pure labor shortage so much as it has a shortage of workers willing to accept the working conditions that today’s economy often demands.”
• Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize-winning economist and Times Opinion columnist describes the trend as, “the revolt of the American worker.”
• Betsey Stevenson, a University of Michigan professor, calls it, “the take this job and shove it economy”.

This sounds like a big deal.  But, what does this mean for those of us living with debilitating chronic illness?  Here’s one example that I’ve seen thus far. 

 A client was ready to get back into the workforce after 5 years of unemployment.  She trained and got certified for medical coaching and started job hunting just as the Pandemic hit.  Within a month, she was hired for a full time job that had recently gone virtual. They didn’t blink at her gaps in employment – or lack of experience – they were desperate to fill their swelling staffing gaps.  After a very positive 1^st quarter review, she found she couldn’t sustain the long hours. She was amazed by how easy it was to negotiate a more flexible schedule.  She’s aware that  she could lose the job if and when the company returns to the office because she can’t handle the daily commute. But, for now, she’s got a job that pays a living wage and is building her resume.

But is it good for us who live with chronic illness?  It seems that employers desperate for workers are more likely to hire those who might not have even made the first cut in the past.  Whether your resume has gaps due to unemployment because of health or you lack sufficient experience, you have a better chance now to get that job and prove your worth.  Also, with the bargaining chips stacking in the employee’s favor, you’re in a stronger position to ask for the work-arounds you need to do the job well.

A change: There has been a large scale shift to a primarily virtual work world.  In the transition back to ‘normal’, there are employers and employees who don’t want to return to the ‘office’ as we knew it and that’s having a big impact on who is hiring and who is being hired.

A client in Northern England is part of a newly formed group of government workers with disabilities.  They’re advocating for the option to work part time and remotely -more hand diversity, they want inclusion.  Pre-Pandemic this would have been unthinkable for fear of losing their jobs. 

According to this article in The Boston Globe disability advocates hail the shift to remote work because it offers people with disabilities the chance to keep working.  “For most, the change was largely a matter of convenience. But for many people with disabilities, it was transformative ― getting to and from a workplace was the most arduous part of their day.”

What might this mean for us living with debilitating chronic illness?  Remote work could be the silver bullet for some.  But, here’s the thing.  There are downsides to working virtually – – even for healthy people.

A study of over 1,000 remote employees by Twingate during the Pandemic revealed that remote employment has caused a loss sense of work/life balance:

• 45% reported attending more meetings during the pandemic than when working in the office, compared to 21% who attended fewer meeting

• 40% of employees have experienced mental exhaustion from video calls while working remotely.

Another thing to keep in mind is that regardless of worker shortages or options such as working virtually, challenges in the workplace persist for those of us living with chronic illness. A critical key to being able to continue to work when you live with debilitating, waxing/waning and unpredictable symptoms is flexibility (Flex scheduling – the New Normal?)   In a Harvard Business Review article, Dr. Alyssa McGonagle writes, “…the number of workers with chronic health conditions in the United States is staggering, and it doesn’t yet include Covid-19 “long-haulers,” or those who experience symptoms well after contracting the virus. It comes as no surprise that workers experiencing these conditions run into conflicts between work and managing their health.” 

So what does it all mean? I’m no pundit – just someone who lives and works with chronic illness — and works with a lot of folks living with chronic illness. But my best guess is that this is the best time we’ve seen in decades to find a job that works for you.  That said, I know how easy it is to feel desperate for a job. But please, be smart and strategic so you do your best to create the success you need.  Identify what you need and what you want in a job and take a realistic assessment of your capacity.  Unclear about how to do this? My Keep Working with Chronic Illness Workbook includes a Self-Assessment and other tools that can help.   

So, what’s your story around working virtually, working with flexibility?  What are you finding is true for you?