We know that living with Crohn’s or Colitis can have an impact on your working life. You might have questions about what support you can get at work or whether you should tell your employer about your Crohn’s or Colitis. This guide will answer some of those questions and help you understand your options and rights at work or while looking for a job.
This guide covers the Equality Act 2010, which applies to England, Wales and Scotland. If you live in Northern Ireland, this guide should still be helpful but please be aware that the Equality Act does not apply to you. The main anti-discrimination law in Northern Ireland is the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA). Visit nidirect for information on the DDA and employment rights in Northern Ireland.
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It can be tricky to decide whether you tell the employer that you have Crohn’s or Colitis when looking for a job. You may be worried that you will be treated differently if you say you have Crohn’s or Colitis.
The Equality Act 2010 is a law that bans unfair treatment (discrimination). The Equality Act stops employers from asking questions about your health, including previous sickness absences, before offering you a job. The law applies to questions on an application form and questions asked during an interview.
There are a few exceptions to this. For details, see the Government Equalities Office Quick start guide.
You might find it helpful to speak to a careers advisor when looking for a job. The National Careers Service can advise you on job-hunting and applications.
Some job offers may have conditions that you need to meet before you are given the job. These conditions can include references and medical checks. Once you have received a conditional job offer, your employer can ask questions about your health. A conditional job offer can be withdrawn for medical reasons, but only if the employer can show that you would not be able to do the job once reasonable adjustments have been made.
If you have had a conditional job offer withdrawn because of your health or medical history but feel that you would have been able to do the job with reasonable adjustments, you can make a complaint to an employment tribunal. An employment tribunal is a panel of three experts who make decisions on employment disputes.
If you decide to tell an employer about your Crohn’s or Colitis, you may find it helpful to write a list of questions you want to ask. You can ask about their policy on things such as storing medication, taking phone calls from your IBD team and going to medical appointments. You might also find it useful to show them the information in Employment: a guide for employers. This guide can help your employer learn more about Crohn’s and Colitis and what is involved in employing someone with a long-term health condition.
I have told my employer about my Crohn’s. It has allowed me to be open about going to appointments and getting the time I need to go to the hospital. It helps to know I have the support of my manager.
If you are diagnosed with Crohn’s or Colitis when you are already working, or if your condition gets worse, you may wonder whether to tell your employer about it. It is a personal decision to tell your employer or not. It might help to talk to someone such as a family member or someone from your IBD team before you make this decision.
Some people with Crohn’s or Colitis decide not to tell their employer about their condition. However, it can help to have the understanding and support from people around you. Telling your employer can allow them to understand your needs and help you feel more supported and productive at work.
Once you have made your employer aware of your needs, you can talk to them about making reasonable adjustments for you.
If you feel nervous or want support when you tell your employer, you could ask someone else to be with you, such as a colleague or friend. Many people find that their employers are supportive, but they may have questions, especially if they don’t know much about Crohn’s or Colitis. It may help to write a list of things you want to talk about.
You may find it helpful to look at our Not Every Disability is Visible campaign page.
Are you IN?, the newest phase of the campaign, provides companies with a range of free tools and resources to help improve support in the workplace for employees living with invisible conditions and disabilities.
We are calling on companies to sign-up to pledges, showing their commitment to making the workplace more inclusive. Find out more information or sign up by completing our form.
I told my team about my condition. I felt happier that they knew why I’ve had to take sick days.
You don’t have to tell the people you work with about your Crohn’s or Colitis. But there can be benefits in letting others know. If your colleagues know that you have a long-term condition and what it means, they are more likely to give you the support you need, helping to create a better working environment.
Being open with your colleagues can help you talk about your symptoms, such as fatigue or stomach pain, if they start to affect you at work.
We have many other resources and information, such as All About Crohn’s and Colitis and Living with Crohn’s or Colitis that you could show your manager and colleagues.
Crohn’s and Colitis can be difficult conditions to talk about and are sometimes misunderstood. We have created a Talking Toolkit to help you find the confidence and support you need to talk to other people about Crohn’s or Colitis. This toolkit can give you the support you need to start the conversation with your colleagues.
I have told the colleagues I thought needed to know about my Crohn’s. They have been really supportive, and it has been such a fantastic help in coping with my diagnosis, appointments and any absences I have had to take.
You are entitled to certain legal rights whether you are an employee, worker, self-employed or an agency worker. The Government website has information about the rights for each category. You may also have extra rights in your employment contract, such as being allowed to take time off for appointments. Have a look at your contract and speak to your employer to see what you are entitled to.
You can get more information about employment rights from Acas, Citizens Advice and trade union representatives.
You may be worried about your rights at work for reasons relating to your condition. The level of protection from the law depends on whether you qualify as disabled under the Equality Act 2010.
The Equality Act 2010 defines when someone is considered to be disabled and is protected from discrimination in the workplace. Anyone with an ongoing illness may qualify for protection against discrimination.
You are disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities such as walking, driving, cooking or eating, using public transport, writing and carrying things.
Living with Crohn’s or Colitis isn’t automatically classed as a disability under the Equality Act. However, they are conditions which might be classed as a disability depending on the effect they have on your daily life. You may not personally see yourself as being ‘disabled’ but be considered disabled under the legal definition in the Equality Act.
If you’re not sure if you are considered to be disabled under the Equality Act, get advice from your GP, IBD team or the Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS).
Your rights will not be affected because your Crohn’s or Colitis symptoms fluctuate (change over time). For example, you may have periods when you have few or no symptoms and times when your symptoms are active (such as during a flare-up). The Equality Act covers fluctuating conditions; the main point is that the overall effect is long-term.
In most cases, treatment for a health condition is not considered when deciding if someone is disabled under the law. This means that you may still benefit from the protection of the Equality Act even if your symptoms are controlled by medication.
If you think you fit the criteria of disability under the Equality Act and feel able to speak to your employer, talk to them to see how they can support you. If you have an Occupational Health (OH) department at your workplace, they may be able to provide support and guidance to both you and your employer.
Find out more about What counts as disability on the Citizens Advice website.
The Equality Act is in place to protect people against discrimination at work if they have a disability. This includes people who are:
See Citizens Advice for information if you are an agency worker or self-employed.
The Equality Act covers all aspects of employment from job interviews, job offers, pay, training, promotion, dismissal and redundancy.
Discrimination can happen in different forms. It is discrimination when:
If you feel that you have experienced discrimination at work, read the section “What can I do if I feel I have been discriminated against?“
Under the Equality Act, an employer can take positive action to help employees or job applicants who are disabled. You may see a ‘Disability Confident’ symbol on a job advertisement, which means that an employer has committed to employ, keep and develop the abilities of disabled staff. The Government website has more information on the ‘Disability Confident’ policy.
If your employer knows about your Crohn’s or Colitis, they can make changes to your workplace to help you do your job. These are called adjustments. You can ask your employer for reasonable adjustments when any aspect of your working arrangements, including the building or place of work or your working hours, puts you at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person doing your job.
Employers have a legal duty to consider making adjustments for employees with a disability.
An employer must consider making adjustments when:
When I had a bad flare up around six years ago, I saw an occupational therapist who recommended a number of workplace adjustments. I went through them with my employer and was amazed at how supportive they were - providing a specialist keyboard and mouse, for example, and even an automatic stapler because the pain in my joints made it very difficult to use a standard one.”
There is no exact definition of what is reasonable. An adjustment is likely to be reasonable if it is affordable and easy to do. This can depend on the type and size of the business.
Some examples of adjustments include:
During previous times when I have had flare-ups and, most recently, after I had surgery, I was offered the opportunity to work reduced and flexible hours. This really helped me with coping with my Crohn’s and the pressures of work and daily life
Adjustments such as easy access to toilets or time off for medical appointments can make a big difference while you are working or looking for work. These adjustments can help you at work and boost your wellbeing. When you talk to your employer, it may be useful to have some suggestions ready of changes that would help you.
If adjustments are expensive, such as installing separate toilet facilities, a scheme called Access to Work may be able to help.
If you have talked about adjustments with your employer and find that you cannot reach an agreement, you could raise a formal written complaint. This is sometimes called a grievance (See “What can I do if I feel I have been discriminated against?”). Contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) for more detailed guidance on your rights.
Access to Work is a scheme to help people with a disability overcome difficulties that may stop them from working. If you are on a permanent or temporary contract, you can apply to the scheme, but it does not cover voluntary work. The scheme can also help if you are self-employed or unemployed and looking for work.
Access to Work can give your employer money to pay for support you may need. The money can pay for things like installing toilet facilities or covering the costs of travelling to work in a taxi if you are unable to use public transport.
You can contact Access to Work to apply. There is the option to apply for an Access to Work grant online.
If you have a stoma or J-pouch, you may be finding it difficult to manage at work or when travelling to and from work.
Colostomy UK provide information and support on living with a stoma and the Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Association can provide support for people living with a stoma or J-pouch.
You may also find our information on Living with a Stoma helpful.
Many people with Crohn’s or Colitis tell us that it is difficult to travel to work or do jobs that include lots of travelling. We know that planning your journey to work may take longer, or you may find the mornings more difficult with symptoms. Speak to your employer if you find that starting work at a certain time in the morning is stressful for you.
You may find it helpful to get a RADAR key for public toilets for disabled people. You can get a RADAR key by becoming a Crohn’s & Colitis UK member or from the Disability Rights UK Online Store. You may also be able to purchase a RADAR key from your local council.
I told my employer about my condition when I began my job, as I was struggling with the work environment and the lengthy journey to get there. They kindly agreed to let me work from home when I needed to, which has really helped.
You may get help with travel costs from Access to Work.
Online resources such as the Great British Public Toilet Map can be useful in locating your nearest public toilet on your journey to work. It covers most of the UK, including toilets in tube and rail stations. There are also apps available to download onto your mobile phone to help you find nearby toilets or changing facilities.
Having Crohn’s or Colitis may mean that you need to take time off work for a number of reasons. This includes time off (absence) due to sickness, such as when you are having a flare-up, or to attend medical appointments. Each workplace will deal with absence differently.
Sickness absence is usually an unplanned period where you do not feel well enough to work. Some workplaces will have a sickness policy, and you may be entitled to sick leave. This policy usually outlines
If you are eligible, you may be able to ask your employer for reasonable adjustments around time off work. An example is your employer not counting the time you have had off work because of your Crohn’s or Colitis when they add up how much sick leave you have had.
Ask your employer if they have a disability leave policy that they can follow. Disability leave is when you need to take time off work because of a reason relating to your disability.
You may need to attend appointments because of your Crohn’s or Colitis, such as having an infusion at hospital, during work hours. There is no legal right for your employer to give you time off for these appointments. They may ask you to make the time up or use your annual leave entitlement. Many workplaces have a medical appointments policy which will outline if you are entitled to time off for appointments, if you will be paid for this time off, and how much time you are entitled to.
If you are eligible, you may be able to ask for reasonable adjustments relating to time off for appointments. An example is your employer agreeing to change your working hours so you can go to medical appointments.
If you have been off work for several weeks or longer because of your Crohn’s or Colitis, you may feel anxious about returning to work.
When you feel ready to think about going back to work, it is a good idea to arrange a meeting with your employer by phone, video call or face-to-face.
You can have a chat to make sure you are ready to return to work, and your employer can let you know any updates that happened while you were off. If you have any recommendations from your doctor or IBD team on how to support your return to work, you can let your employer know what these recommendations are and anything else that you think will make going back to work easier.
My employer was very understanding during a long period of absence and recovery from surgery. I was referred to Occupational Health and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of knowledge of IBD the team had and how supportive they were.
See the Acas website for more information on returning to work after an absence.
If you are absent for more than a week, you will need to get a ‘fit note’ (‘statement of fitness for work’) from your GP (or hospital doctor if you are in hospital). It allows your doctor to suggest that you would benefit from additional support or adjustments, such as building up slowly to your normal hours and duties. This is called a ‘phased’ return to work.
An example of a phased return is if you start working only a few hours each day and gradually increase your hours over time. Or you may want to ask for a reduced workload or lighter duties, to begin with.
Your employer can ask for a doctor’s report about your health if they need to:
When I felt up to it [during my sickness absence] I read up on things I couldn’t usually have the time to. By the time I returned to work, I had done useful research, come up with some new ideas and was familiar with that boring safety manual I had previously put to one side!
You will need to give permission for your doctor to give the report to your employer. You can also ask to see the report before it is sent to your employer. Any information that you do choose to share with your employer must be kept confidential.
They will then be able to make reasonable adjustments to help you return to work.
Dismissal is when your employer ends your contract, meaning you no longer work for them. It is sometimes called being sacked or fired.
There may be times when your employer has made reasonable adjustments, but you are having a lot of absences or are struggling to return to work because of your Crohn’s or Colitis. Dismissal should be a last resort after your employer has tried other ways to support you and help you get back to work. Your employer might put a performance management procedure in place to help you to do your job. Your workplace may have this procedure written in a capability or performance policy which your employer should follow before deciding on dismissal. Read more about capability procedures at Acas.
If your employer does dismiss you or you feel like you have been treated unfairly for taking time off, see “What can I do if I feel I have been discriminated against?“ or talk to a Citizens Advice advisor.
If you feel that you are not being treated fairly at work because of your Crohn’s or Colitis, there are steps you can take to help resolve the problem.
If you are not sure where to start, have a look at How to raise a problem at work on the Acas website.
It is usually a good idea to talk informally to your employer or manager about your concerns as a first step.
If you do not feel comfortable talking to your manager, try speaking to someone from:
Things can often be resolved by talking them through. It can also be helpful to keep notes of conversations or meetings just in case you need to take the matter further.
If the situation does not improve, you could make a formal complaint through your employer’s grievance procedure. You should raise the issue as soon as you can. You can download a grievance letter template from Acas at the link below.
Your employer then has to arrange a meeting with you to discuss the problem. You have a legal right to bring a colleague or trade union representative with you if you ask your employer beforehand. Depending on the company’s policy, you may be able to ask a family member or friend to accompany you. Acas have a helpful guide to raising a formal grievance.
If you are not happy with the result of this meeting, you can make an appeal to your employer.
If the problem is still not resolved after raising a formal grievance, you might be able to make a claim to an employment tribunal. An employment tribunal is a panel of three experts who make decisions on employment disputes. An employment tribunal claim can take a lot of time and energy for everyone involved so it is usually seen as a last resort if no other agreement can be reached.
An employment tribunal can only deal with certain types of claims, including issues with pay, unfair dismissal and discrimination. A claim to an employment tribunal usually has to be submitted within three months (minus one day) after the discrimination took place.
If you want advice about making a claim to an employment tribunal, see Acas or Citizens Advice.
When you make a discrimination claim, you need to provide the employment tribunal with evidence that discrimination has happened. Then, the employer needs to show that discrimination has not happened. There is more information about this on the Equality and Human Rights Commission website.
If you find it difficult to make a complaint or are still not happy with the outcome, you might want to contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS), Acas or other similar organisations to explore your options.
Firstly, if you are struggling, it can help to speak to someone. You may prefer to speak to a trusted friend or family member before you speak to your employer or someone else at work, such as a Human Resources or Occupational Health advisor. Your workplace may have an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in place. The EAP can provide you with support and practical advice for work-related and personal issues, including mental health and wellbeing. You may also want to have a look at our mental health and wellbeing information.
Occasionally, you may find that your condition still makes it difficult to work, even with changes in place. In this case, it is not unusual to feel angry or upset at the impact of Crohn’s or Colitis on your working life or career. Deciding to leave your job or stop working is a big decision that should be given a lot of thought. Speak to family and friends if possible and consider weighing up different factors, such as your reasons for working and your financial situation.
There are different options you could consider, including:
If you have care or mobility needs caused by your Crohn’s or Colitis, you may be eligible for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), whether or not you are working. See our information on Claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP). In Scotland, a new benefit called Adult Disability Payment is replacing Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in 2022. You can find information on Adult Disability Payment on Citizens Advice Scotland or Social Security Scotland - Benefits.
If you are in employment, your employer should pay Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if you are too ill to work. Statutory Sick Pay starts after you have been off sick for four days in a row. SSP can be paid for up to 28 weeks. If you are not well enough to return to work after this time, or if your employment has ended, you may qualify for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Some employers may make additional payments through their sick pay scheme. This will depend on your terms and conditions of employment. For more information, contact Jobcentre Plus or see www.gov.uk.
If your income has dropped or changed, you can use an online benefit check to see if you are entitled to claim any benefits.
Read more in our Finances information.
Some jobs have very specific entry requirements to make sure you are physically able to do the job. Having Crohn’s or Colitis might stop you from having certain roles in the armed forces, delay you from joining, or prevent you joining. Your application is assessed on an individual basis.
We follow strict processes to make sure our information is based on up-to-date evidence and easy to understand.
Please email us at evidence@crohnsandcolitis.org.uk if:
You can also write to us at Crohn’s & Colitis UK, 1 Bishop Square, Hatfield, AL10 9NE, or contact us through our Helpline: 0300 222 5700
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We know it can be difficult to live with, or support someone living with these conditions. But you’re not alone. We provide up-to-date, evidence-based information and can support you to live well with Crohn’s or Colitis.
Our helpline team can help by:
Providing information about Crohn’s and Colitis.
Listening and talking through your situation.
Helping you to find support from others in the Crohn’s and Colitis community.
Providing details of other specialist organisations.
Please be aware we’re not medically or legally trained. We cannot provide detailed financial or benefits advice or specialist emotional support.
Please contact us via telephone, email or LiveChat - 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (except English bank holidays).
If you need specific medical advice about your condition, your GP or IBD team will be best placed to help.
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