Real Talk: Chronic disease accommodations in the workplace
A manager’s guide: Making room for everyone
The Mental Health Commission of Canada gratefully acknowledges the support and collaboration of our many valued HealthPartners who helped to bring this resource to life.
This guide is largely informed by interviews conducted with HealthPartners leaders, who emphasized the need to reframe workplace accommodations as a pathway to organizational success.
Their insights and the best practices that they shared offer a blueprint for creating workplaces where all employees can reach their full potential.
A word on language and scope:
The relationships between chronic disease and disability are complex and often interconnected. While this guide draws from the chronic disease context, its principles apply to supporting employees across a spectrum of health-related needs. Our focus is on practical solutions rather than strict definitions.
Foundations for inclusion
At one time or another, most people may need accommodation.1
It’s a simple truth. And it challenges us to reject prescriptive views.
If you think workplace accommodations are special exceptions for a handful of people, you aren’t alone.
In reality, our workforce reflects the rich diversity of human experience and needs.2
Creating an inclusive workplace means balancing practical considerations with our shared responsibility to support one another. 3
When organizations shift from a compliance-focused approach (rigid, check-the-box, punch-in-punch-out) to a culture of flexibility and support, something remarkable happens:
- productivity increases
- retention improves
- creativity flourishes
Why?
It’s simple: Because employees feel invited to bring their best selves to work.
Are you ready to make the leap?
Together, we can make the accommodation mindset the rule, rather than the exception. This starts with conversation and information — finding the right balance between the needs of employees and organizational policies, while debunking misconceptions.
As leaders, we can drive change at multiple levels, from meeting legal requirements to championing organizational policies to creating supportive team environments.
By doing that, we can make room for everyone to do their best work.
- According to Statistics Canada, 35 per cent of employed Canadians with disabilities age 25 to 64 needed at least one workplace accommodation in 2022.
- A 2019 federal Benchmarking study emphasized that accommodations are not limited to disability-related needs but also include flexible schedules, remote work, and ergonomic adjustments, which benefit a wide range of employees.
- Per the Canadian Human Rights Commission accommodations also include caregiver obligations and religious needs.
About this resource
This resource was developed in partnership with Liz Horvath, a leading voice on creating healthy, thriving workplaces — rejecting Band-Aid solutions in favour of tackling root causes. Liz’s passion for workplace wellness stems from both professional interest and deeply personal conviction.
A mindset shift
An employer can’t change someone’s health condition. But they can put in place supports to enhance workplace environments, attitudes, and expectations to ensure people living with chronic disease are set up for success. Such supports remove obstacles that turn differences into disadvantages.
Disability, or limitations from chronic illness, is about more than health conditions.
Think of it like this:
A person’s body or mind works differently + Our environments aren’t designed for those differences = A mismatch that prevents full participation
This mindset shift is powerful.
It moves us from a “What’s wrong with you?” worldview to “How can our workplace be more accessible?” or “What conventions are getting in your way?”
“Not everyone has the same opportunity to [stay healthy]. There are fundamental equity issues that actively work against making the desired changes. We’re only as healthy as the systems we live within.”
— Sarah Butson, CEO, Canadian Lung Association
“As the mother of an adult child who grew up living with serious chronic kidney disease, I witnessed firsthand the challenges she faced and continues to face. I’m deeply invested in helping create welcoming workplaces. I support people to overcome barriers to inclusion and empower leaders, managers, and employees to work together to solve problems and strive for true equity.”
— Liz Horvath, President, Hale Health & Safety Solutions
What's in it for me?
While extending accommodations doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming, it’s reasonable to ask: Why go above and beyond what’s strictly required by law?
Answer:
The leadership edge.
Lived experience of chronic conditions, major illnesses, and invisible disabilities often translates to hidden assets that can benefit your organization.
Problem solvers extraordinaire
When people need to find creative workarounds for their everyday activities, they develop exceptional problem-solving skills that they can apply directly to workplace challenges. Who better to find creative solutions than someone who lives in a world not designed for them?
Masters of efficiency
Living with unpredictable health means developing impeccable planning skills while being flexible when the best laid plans change. These employees often excel at prioritization, resource management, and multi-tasking because they’ve learned on the job … of life.
Empathy in action
People who have had to navigate health-care systems and advocate for themselves build communication skills and emotional intelligence. These experiences create leaders who truly understand how to support the needs of their team — not just in word, but in deed.
Resilience champions
Facing ongoing health challenges builds unparalleled resilience. These employees often maintain perspective during workplace crises and model recovery after setbacks — essential qualities for effective leadership.
If you’re able to recognize these strengths, your organization can quickly shift from a deficit model of accommodation to an appreciation of the unique value these employees bring, not despite their health challenges, but because of the wisdom gained through living with them.
The most effective leaders don’t just follow accommodation policies — they champion inclusive practices because they recognize that talent and potential come in many forms. When we focus on capabilities rather than limitations, we open doors to exceptional contributors who might otherwise be overlooked.