Invisible TALENT POOL THE
BY PIPPA STACEY Pippa Stacey explores the barriers that still face people living with chronic illness who are looking for employment
M
y chronic illness diagnosis came during my first year of university. I struggled through my degree during the day, and at night I laid awake, worrying about what on earth would happen after I graduated. Like many people with long-term illnesses, I’m one of the ‘in-betweeners’. I knew that I was well enough to have a career in some capacity, but I definitely wasn’t well enough to do full-time hours, commute to a workplace, or take on any kind of physical exertion. If I wanted to perform at my best, I knew I needed remote and flexible work where I could carefully pace myself and manage my health. I just didn’t know where to find it. I began applying to any and every work-from-home opportunity I could find online, as well as programmes designed for disabled people. At this time, I found it incredibly telling that even one well-known scheme designed specifically for disabled graduates wouldn’t
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accept my application because my disability meant I couldn’t work full-time. Thankfully, I believe that scheme has now adapted, but I think this example perfectly illustrates how chronic and fluctuating illness has been excluded from conversations about disability and employment in the past. Fortunately, I’ve been one of the lucky ones. With enforced grit and self-advocacy, I’ve been able to find work in a range of roles in both an employed and self-employed capacity, and those experiences eventually led me to Astriid. In short, Astriid is the platform I so badly needed back at the beginning of my own employment journey. Founded by David Shutts OBE following his cancer diagnosis, Astriid’s mission is to help people with long-term illnesses (as well as carers) find meaningful work with amazing employers. Our online platform helps bridge the gap between the Invisible Talent Pool (people who have
