Quotes from People with IBD in Employment

To mark the release of the IBD in Young People: The Impact on Education and Employment. We've collated some of the responses from the 2011 IBD and Employment survey. This is what real people say about work. It's the good, the bad and the ugly, but these are all situations that you could encounter in the world of work. How would you handle the awkward or difficult moments that are mentioned?


“I think they need to understand the 
unpredictability of it as well. I was 
asked a lot of questions at interview 
like, how often do you flare-up?
How long do they last? How does it 
affect you? I just have to say I can’t 
tell you because I don’t know…”

“I feel that as a result of my illness 

I work harder and generally take 

fewer sick days than those around 

me who are of average or good 

health.”

“I think it is important to explain to 
your employer about your condition. 
Being open and up- front has helped 
in my case, and if they are good 
employers they will understand.”

“I always feel I have more to prove 

and therefore push myself too hard, 

leaving me exhausted when I get 

home. All energy goes to

completing a full day and then I

crash when I get home.”

“Employers do not realise how 
embarrassing IBD can be. Often, 
going to the loo may be very noisy. I 
worry that work colleagues may laugh 
behind my back”.

“I now work in a shop where 

everybody knows I have IBD and 

they go out of their way to make it 

easy for me if I need to leave 

suddenly to go to the toilet.”

“I am lucky in that I can plan the 
day the way I want to plan it. I’m 
supposed to start at 8am, but it’s 
rare that I do - but I always make it 
up at the end of the day. They are 
quite flexible with that. I can also 
move stuff to the middle of the day 
if I don’t feel up to it in the 
morning.”

“My employer has been good as I 

work extra hours sometimes to 

have at least two to three days of

‘in lieu’ time in case I need to be 

off, so they have been reasonably 

flexible.”

“Working from home is a god-send 
and I can manage to work through 
some flare-ups by taking this 
option. I am lucky because my 
hours are very flexible anyway.”

"I work in a hospital with lots of toilet 

facilities. However, it is the getting to 

and from work, particularly in the 

mornings, which proves most 

difficult."

"Travelling to and from work would be 
impossible without the use of a car. I 
wouldn’t feel confident enough on 
public transport, or having to walk 
long distances, as I am constantly 
aware that I have to be close to a 
toilet.”

“My employer is very supportive and 

gave me full pay when I returned to 

work, and asked me to return on a 

phased basis for the good of my 

health e.g. two hours a day first week 

back, three hours a day the second 

week etc., until back up to seven 

hours a day.”

“Employer information from Crohn's 
and Colitis UK helped me to keep a 
toilet close to the area I work in and 
helped my employer understand 
about my condition.”

“I feel that there is a lack of 

awareness around IBD, and it’s 

challenging talking about the issues 

which would be private for most 

people without the condition”