Over a third of employees still fear disclosing an invisible disability at work, mainly due to fears of discrimination, revealed a new study.
Around 37% of employees in the study said haven’t yet disclosed their disability at work due to concerns about discrimination and lack of support, according to new data released by Involve, The Inclusion People consultancy. Additionally, over two thirds (67%) of employees with invisible disabilities believe it’s up to them to get the support and reasonable adjustments that they need at work.
Additionally, over half (58%) feel those with invisible disabilities aren’t prioritised as much as those with other conditions, and half say the difficulty of the process to get the support they need at work is not worth it. And with businesses across the UK looking to make savings where they can amid a turbulent economic climate, 38% say budget cuts have meant they aren’t getting the support they need at work.
IMPACT OF INVISIBLE DISABILITIES AT WORK
The research found that many with invisible disabilities are facing daily struggles in their job roles. Almost a quarter (24%) are unable to cope with their workload, and 28% say their disability contributes to an inability to concentrate at work.
Aside from the impact on their role, those with invisible disabilities also cite negative effects on their wider workplace experience. A third (32%) say their disability contributes to stress at work. This increases to over half (51%) of those with mental health conditions, and 46% for those with cognitive impairments such as a traumatic brain injury or learning disability.
Additionally, one in five (20%) say they feel lonely or isolated at work because of their disability, with 17% experiencing poor relationships with colleagues or managers. A quarter say their invisible disability has resulted in a lack of enjoyment of their work, and significantly, a fifth (19%) say it is contributing to them wanting to leave their job. With rates of employment for those with disabilities already far lower than the general population, a notable area of focus for the UK Government in the Spring Budget, clearly more is to be done to retain people with invisible disabilities in work.
TO DISCLOSE OR NOT TO DISCLOSE
The research found that 37% of employees with invisible disabilities have not disclosed their disability at work. For those with conditions that are seemingly easier to ‘mask’, this only increases. 62% with autism, 56% with mental health conditions, 54% with non-visible health conditions have kept their disability secret. Conversely, those with conditions that are more noticeable are more likely to disclose: 65% with hearing loss and 61% with cognitive impairments have informed their workplace. The presence of this divide even within those who have invisible disabilities demonstrates the impact of ‘masking’ – those who do not disclose their disability likely aren’t receiving the support and adjustments they need to thrive at work.
On some of the reasons why they haven’t disclosed their invisible disability, a third (32%) claim they don’t want to be deemed less capable than their colleagues, and almost one in three (29%) are concerned about being negatively discriminated against. A quarter (25%) don’t believe that disclosing their disability will result in any improvements for them. The burden of having to explain their disability time and again is also clear: a fifth (21%) don’t want to have to repeatedly tell people about their condition.
This research comes as INvolve launches its first Enable Role Model List, sponsored by HSBC, which celebrates and showcases 20 individuals who are using their personal experiences of disability, neurodiversity or mental health to advance inclusion for others in the workplace. Click here to read more.
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