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Chronic Illness Stigma and Its Relevance in the Workplace

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Stigmas, Work and Organizations

Part of the book series: Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma ((PAEWS))

Abstract

Many people with chronic illness participate in the workforce and will continue to do so. Thus, they must cope with their illness symptoms and other peoples’ reactions to their illness in the workplace. In recent years, research on the effects of chronic illness in the workplace has highlighted effects such as stress and burnout (McGonagle et al., Stress and Health, 30, 310–321, 2014), and its effects on daily work interactions (Vickers, Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 15(2), 85–98, 2003) and career progression (Beatty, Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 24, 91–110, 2012). Findings underscore that having a chronic illness influences not only workplace performance but also social interactions through stereotyping and stigmatization. This chapter will focus on the processes and outcomes of a specific category of stigma—chronic illness stigma—with the aim of discussing the unique issues experienced by this population.

The original version of this chapter was revised.

An erratum to this chapter can be found at DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-56476-4_13

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI, USA

    Joy Beatty

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  1. Joy Beatty
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    S. Bruce Thomson

  2. University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Gina Grandy

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Beatty, J. (2018). Chronic Illness Stigma and Its Relevance in the Workplace. In: Thomson, S., Grandy, G. (eds) Stigmas, Work and Organizations . Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56476-4_3

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