Employment and IBD Part 1 - Telling Work About IBD

If you have Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis – conditions collectively known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) – you may be concerned about your employment position. You may be employed or looking for a new job. You may be on benefits and are thinking about returning to work. While IBD is a chronic condition, with appropriate treatment it is often possible to remain well for long periods and many people with IBD are able to work full-time. 

This series of articles sets out to answer some questions you may have about your possible options and how you may be protected by law. The quotations that are included are all from people who have IBD who responded to a 2011 Crohn’s and Colitis UK survey on IBD and employment.


Who should I tell about my IBD? 

If you are applying for a job you may be concerned that you will be at a disadvantage if you declare your IBD during the recruitment process, whether on an application form or at an interview. The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful for employers to ask invasive questions about your health - including previous sickness absence - before making a job offer. This applies to questions that are included on an application form as well as questions asked during an interview. 

Employers should consider whether or not you can do the job rather than ruling you out early on in the process because of your health condition. A job offer may be conditional on a medical examination or satisfactory completion of a medical questionnaire after the job offer stage. A conditional offer should only be withdrawn on medical grounds at this stage if it can be shown that you would not be able to do the job once reasonable adjustments have been made. If you deliberately withhold information at this stage and it comes out later, you could risk being dismissed. You may also find it helpful to show any prospective employer our leaflet ‘Employment and IBD: a guide for employers’.

If you are already in a job when you are diagnosed with IBD, or if your condition becomes worse, you may wonder whether to tell your manager about it. There is generally no legal requirement to disclose a medical condition - but it may be required in your own personal contract of employment. 

There can be some advantages in telling your manager. Firstly, hiding symptoms can be a strain and it may be a relief to talk about your IBD. Also, if your employer knows about your IBD, they should make reasonable adjustments for you if you fall within the definition of a disabled person in the Equality Act 2010. Generally, employers will deal sympathetically with an honest approach, and sometimes a lack of understanding can create more problems, but it has to be your decision.

“I think it is important to explain to your 

employer about your condition. Being 

open and up front, in my case, has 

helped, and if they are good 

employers they will understand.”

If you want some support when you tell your employer, you could ask someone else to accompany you, such as a colleague, an occupational health worker or a trade union representative. Even if you tell an employer or prospective employer about your IBD, you may not wish it to become public knowledge. You also need to decide if and what you are going to tell your co-workers and colleagues. Again, there can be advantages in letting others know about your IBD. If fellow staff know that you have a chronic condition and what it means, they are more likely to give you the support and assistance you need, helping to create a better working environment. If they do not know, they may draw the wrong conclusions or believe you are getting preferential treatment if your employer makes adjustments for you. Being more open could also mean that you wouldn’t, for example, have to hide taking your medication or that you have painful stomach cramps.


It is common for people to feel embarrassed when talking about bowel movements, so you may find it difficult to explain your symptoms, especially urgency and the frequent need to rush to the toilet. You may find it helpful to give your manager and/or your colleagues some of our information sheets or booklets such as Understanding Colitis and Crohn’s Disease. Explaining that IBD is not infectious is often particularly helpful, as this may be a concern. It may also be useful to make it clear that IBD is different from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 


The 2011 Crohn's and Colitis UK survey found that 81% of employees had told their employer or HR department about their IBD, and 77% had told their coworkers. Most employees said that they felt comfortable about discussing their condition, but two in five respondents said that they worry their colleagues may think that they do not pull their weight at work because of their IBD symptoms. A quarter said that they worry about being discriminated against in the workplace as a result of their IBD.

In Part 2 - Employment Rights, Disability, Equality and Discrimination