Your work questions answered: On meds for life, I must work from home. I feel stuck – and it’s getting me down

Last year I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease which took a large psychological toll, but also a medical one – and I am on meds for the rest of my life. I have a good job with a very understanding employer, but I am unhappy due to lack of growth and development opportunities due to various factors within the company.
So, as I am at the top level of my pay grade, I won’t be promoted, even though I am ready to be. So, no pay rise and no promotion – but more and more responsibility.
I need to work from home full-time due to my medical condition, so I feel stuck, as I don’t feel I can apply for a role elsewhere, or if I do, at what point I should disclose my medical issues. What I have is also classed as a disability under law so, if I do apply for a role externally and I say this, I feel as if I will cause issues for a potential employer. It is really getting me down.
Searching for better career growth and development opportunities is among the most common reasons for switching jobs, but the reader should not fear a lack of accommodating employers elsewhere once they can fulfil their role, says Lisa Holt, group managing director at Cpl Recruitment.
Holt has encountered multiple candidates throughout her career whose experiences align with that of this reader.
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Although illegal to discriminate based on illness or disability under the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2015, an employer is not obliged to hire or keep someone who cannot effectively do their job, she says.
“Once it does not affect their job and they understand the sick pay policy, it would not stop me hiring them,” she says.
If an illness affects a worker’s ability to carry out a certain aspect of a specific role, or if it hinders their delivery or progress daily, “they need to think about a role where it does not affect them, and fine tune their search to that end”, she says.
In terms of disclosing any illness or disability, it seems that honesty is the best policy, which can pay off, as it can be more difficult to come back from a lack of transparency, “especially if it impacts someone’s capability to do their job”, Holt says.
“When someone is honest with me, I respect their position more and I really value that level of transparency.
“It helps me to help them, and once they can do the job, I see no reason as to why it would stop them from finding their dream job,” she says.
If a candidate decides to disclose their disability or illness, this could be done at a later stage in the interview process, perhaps following a second round.
Accommodations for workers with disabilities or long-term illnesses such as working from home should be a given with any employer, she says.
“The majority of employers want to be seen as having excellent practices across diversity, equity and inclusion, and in particular around making accommodations for individuals,” she says.
There are hundreds of thousands of people affected by an autoimmune disease in Ireland and the vast majority continue to have positive work and career experiences, says Damien McCarthy, founder and chief executive of consultancy firm, HR Buddy.
“To put it quite simply, if your work opportunities are impacted negatively because of your condition, it is highly possible that it is discrimination, so any employer worth being employed with will respect this and afford appropriate accommodations for you,” he says.
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He also encourages openness with employers, as in his experience, “most employers, or at least the ones you want to work for, will respect, facilitate and accommodate you”.
“I would encourage the reader to go for it if they feel that they need to progress to a different role. I would also be confident that they will find the right employer and the right opportunity,” he says.
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