Tips for Managers with Employees who are Ill
1. Supporting Employees in the First Weeks. The first weeks after a diagnosis – when it is new, and an employee has not figured out a plan – is a particularly difficult time for employees. Based on research with employees, there are four specific things that managers can do to be helpful in these first weeks:
a) Slow Down for a First Conversation. After an employee tells a manager that they are ill, employees want to know that their managers care. Employees almost universally appreciate when their manager finds time to talk to them, shortly after the diagnosis; time to ask how the employee is doing, and to see what they can do to help. Slow down for a conversation, so employees know the manager is there for them.
b) Call Human Resources for Support. As you begin supporting your employee who is going through an illness, it will be important to receive support from the HR team.
c) Ask for Guidance on How They’d Like the Manager to Help. Although there are a common set of actions that managers can take to help their people, every employee is different – and it’s hugely helpful, early on in an employee’s journey, to ask how they would like the manager to help. Managers should ask:
• Whether it would be alright if they checked in regularly, to see how they were doing and what the manager should do to help.
• Whether they would like to tell the team; or have the manager tell the team; or not disclose the diagnosis to anyone.
• What else the manager can to do help.
d) Point Employees Towards Company Resources. Managers are not, of course, directly responsible for the leave and disability process; or for medical benefits. When employees are diagnosed with an illness, however, they often turn to their managers, asking what they should do. Employees are very grateful when managers know enough about the available support to point employees in the right direction, to get them set up with the right people who can help them. See www.mynewscorpbenefits.com for the most important support services for employees.
2. Supporting Employees through Treatment. Treatments depending on the illness can last for months, or even years. And for employees, it is often hard the whole time. There are four specific things that managers can do to be helpful in this longer stretch:
a) Check In Regularly. According to employees, the largest mistake managers make – the thing they do that causes the most anger and frustration – is that managers often withdraw from the relationship. When an employee is ill or in treatment, and months go by without a manager checking in on them, they often assume that the manager (and the company) does not care. Managers should check in regularly with their employees. This check-in does not need to be too in-depth, and should not be focused on work. Quite simply – make sure you talk regularly, to ask how they are doing and how you can help.
Note: This is general advice, based on the preferences of the majority of employees. Managers should, however, ask employees for guidance on how they would like to engage; and should adjust the frequency of check-ins (or eliminate check-ins entirely) based on employee preferences.
b) Make One Small Gesture of Support. Some managers made one small gesture to let employees know they care. Employees deeply appreciate these gestures. Managers should pick one, and do it. Some options for a gesture that employees said they appreciated:
• Sending flowers
• Sending a gift card (e.g. to a local coffee shop)
• Sending a signed card
If an employee has disclosed their diagnosis to the broader team, it is often helpful to involve the team in a gesture (signing a card, for example). If the employee has not disclosed the diagnosis to the team, though, the manager should not involve them in the gesture.
c) Give Flexibility, Where Possible. Many employees will want to keep working through their illness, instead of taking leave for the whole time. While going through treatment, however, there are
days where they’ll need to be out for appointments, or not feeling as well as they thought they would. Employees value managers who recognize what they’re going through; give them flexibility where possible; and make them feel comfortable taking leave when needed.
Note: Flexibility looks different depending on the type of role. In many circumstances, it will be harder for managers to give much flexibility; in which case they should focus largely on formal process of leaves and accommodations.
d) Do Informal Discussions about Balancing Workloads with Treatment. Employees who are ill will typically manage when they can and cannot work through formal processes; they will use their PTO, access short-term and possibly long-term disability, and request accommodations. These formal processes are important and are the primary way employees will manage when they do and do not work. Managers should make employees feel comfortable working with Human Resources to access these types of support.
In interviews, however, employees say that they don’t want to only think through their workload using these formal processes. They also want to have more informal conversations with their managers, discussions in which they can communicate about what work they’ll be doing when and receive context on how their work will be taken care of when they’re out (and how they’ll pick it back up when they’re back). Keeping these lines of communication open can reduce uncertainty that employees feel as they work through their illness.
Note: These informal discussions are not a substitute for the formal leave, disability, and accommodations processes. Those processes are how work schedules and responsibilities are determined. Employees do, though, appreciate more informal discussions to work out details and any questions they may have.
3. Supporting Employees in Remission. Employees who finish their treatment, and are in remission, often have continuing symptoms and side effects for months or years. The support and sympathy that employees receive during treatment, however – from managers, coworkers, and others
– often disappears entirely once treatment is completed. The lack of recognition of the lingering impact of their illness can be a source of frustration for employees. Managers should understand that an employee might not be 100% after a diagnosis and should continue checking in with them and giving
flexibility as needed.
Recommendation: Even after remission, continue checking in with employees as often as they would like. Ask how they’re doing and keep lines of communication open. Keep checking in until employees say this type of discussion is no longer needed.
Having Productive Conversations: Many managers have uncertainty about what they should and should
not say in conversation with their employees who are sick. Every person is different, and managers should ask about – and respect – each employee’s wishes. There are, however, three principles to keep in mind, across all conversations with employees:
a) In General, Employees Would Like to Hear from You. Managers sometimes withdraw from
conversations with employees who are sick, hoping to avoid saying the wrong thing. Employees often read this reticence as a lack of caring; many feel neglected if a manager doesn’t engage. Although there are a few useful guardrails for conversations (see below), and every employee is different, employees generally prefer if their managers check in on them periodically.
b) Don’t Ask Employees to Disclose Health Information. Wait for an employee to disclose a diagnosis to you. Then, once an employee has disclosed a diagnosis, it is best to keep questions high-level (“how are you doing”; “what can I do to help”) and to avoid asking specific medical questions (“how did your recent scan go?”)
c) Continue Offering Employees Professional Opportunities. Many employees will ask for accommodations; and managers should, as always, follow the accommodations process and support the plan, in partnership with Human Resources. At the same time, managers shouldn’t proactively decide that an employee has too much on their plate because of their health and take work away from them. Managers should, in the absence of requests from employees, continue providing them with professional opportunities and responsibilities