How to Navigate the Workplace with Chronic Urticaria

Chronic Urticaria impacts our lives in so many different ways. One area of great concern is the workplace. You don’t know when you will have a flare, if you will sleep, or if your face will swell during that important meeting. This can lead to a lot of stress and worrying. Having a flare during work hours can be distracting and make it difficult to focus on your job. Some days you have to call in because it’s unbearable to deal with. This disease can leave you wondering what the future holds for your career.

Can I get disability for chronic urticaria? How do I get FMLA? How do I find a remote position? These are all questions I have seen asked in the Thrive with Hives support group for women on Facebook.

Here we will discuss some viable options for those who suffer from chronic hives and angioedema.

What can you do to make work better?

Comfortable work attire

I never knew how lucky I was to wear scrubs until I got a cozy office job that required me to wear business casual. I spent a ton of money experimenting with outfits that were attractive, yet comfortable. It’s not easy to dress professionally and comfortable when any tightness or the wrong fabric can induce hives.

For business casual, look for flowy, breathable fabrics that don’t hold heat or moisture. Even a plain cotton tee shirt looks nice enough tucked into a skirt. Dresses are definitely a favorite for comfort. For shoes, I prefer flats. They aren’t as sexy for sure but I value my comfort and those straps on heels can really do a number if you have pressure urticaria.

If you can’t avoid tight fabrics, try putting an anti-itch cream or spraying Dermoplast to the area to prevent the itch from starting in the first place. I also placed a fan on my desk as well as under my desk and a spritz bottle with diluted peppermint to keep myself cool.

If your dress code is forcing you to wear your triggers, request accommodation. Bring a note from your doctor outlining your triggers and why you should be allowed an exclusion from the policy.

If a coworker’s perfume or your company’s cleaning products are bothering you and may cause a flare, say something.

You have a right to a safe and comfortable work environment.

Don’t forget about self care

It’s easy to let your career get in the way of self care. Don’t let this happen. Instead, see how you can incorporate it into your day. I like to do mini workouts during my work day. Obviously being in scrubs made it a lot easier than when I was in business casual but I made it work. I brought tennis shoes and walked up and down the stairs several times. I did squats behind my desk and I did wall pushups. I took a moment to do deep breathing techniques if I was feeling stressed. I downloaded the Calm app and did a short ten minute meditation on my breaks. I talked by boss into buying me an anti-fatigue mat and a standing desk so I wasn’t sitting for long periods. Think about how you could modify your work environment and plan your day to allow for self care.

Know your rights

Sick Time

Familiarize yourself with your company’s sick leave policy. If you call in two days in a row, does that count as one call in? If you are late do you lose “points”? How many call ins are you allowed in a period of time? Do you have to have a written excuse from your doctor? If you can find someone to replace your shift, does it still count against you? Study your hand book and ask your human resources professional to clarify anything that doesn’t make sense to you.

Take your breaks

In the healthcare field this was really hard at certain facilities. Do your best to get all of the breaks that you are allowed. If you aren’t able to take your breaks, brain storm with your coworkers to try to find a solution and discuss the situation with your boss.

At one facility I worked for, after discussing with HR and the administrator, the director of nursing started showing up to take our keys during lunch, allowing us to complete our allotted break time. I never thought I would see her holding those keys. Nurses, you know what I mean. Don’t be afraid to have the conversation.

You may qualify for FMLA

Here in the United States we have what is called Family Medical Leave Act, or FMLA. The act was passed in 1993 by president Clinton to protect your job in case of illness of yourself or qualifying family member. This allows you to take up to 12 weeks of (unpaid) time off due to your medical condition in a 12 month period. Although FMLA time is not paid, you may be able to use your PTO. This could be for medical appointments, call-ins or a period of time off for a severe flare.

It sounds great on the surface and it has helped many people, but there are some limitations to this.

To qualify for FMLA:

• You must have worked for the company for at least a year
• Worked at least 1250 hours in the 12 month period prior to requesting leave
• Work at a location with 50 or more employees (Or within a 75 mile radius of a location that does have 50 employees)

These requirements alone leave many people in the dark.

If you believe that you qualify for FMLA, contact the human resources manager at your place of employment for the appropriate paperwork. You will need your doctor to fill out a form. Be sure to meet all the deadlines given to you by your employer.

They must notify you within 5 business days if you qualify for FMLA benefits. If you do not qualify, they must give you a reason. It is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for using FMLA rights. If you feel you are being retaliated against, contact a lawyer.

You can learn more about FMLA HERE.

Can you get Disability for Chronic Hives?

You may qualify for short term disability, long term disability, or social security disability for Chronic Urticaria. This will replace your income or a percentage of your income while you are unable to work due to your chronic health condition.

Social Security Disability

For social security benefits, the best course of action would be to discuss with your doctor and contact a lawyer who specializes in social security disability claims for chronic skin conditions. You have to show that you are under the treatment of a physician and have been compliant with your care plan. Your doctor must also agree that the condition is, in fact, disabling. In addition to your own doctor, you may be asked to see a doctor who works with disability benefits.

Often, even in severe cases, the first application is denied. If you truly feel you are unable to work, apply a second time. A lawyer can help guide you through the process. You can find more information on the social security benefits site HERE.

Private Disability Insurance

If you have private disability insurance, contact your insurance provider and let them know you would like to file a claim. As with social security disability, you have to prove your case. Make sure that it is well documented and have a discussion with your doctor about how your condition is keeping you from your work responsibilities. You will be provided with a claim packet with paperwork for yourself, your doctor, and your employer to fill out. You can read more information on how to file a claim HERE.

Remote Options

Along with the COVID-19 pandemic came a wave of remote work opportunities. Many companies have changed their stance on allowing employees to work remotely.

If you have a job that you feel could be performed remotely, don’t be afraid to discuss this possibility with your boss. Before COVID hit I was working as a nurse care coordinator and my boss swore up and down that we would never be allowed to work remotely. When Governor Whitmer ordered the shut down here in Michigan, I was given the opportunity to prove myself. I went above and beyond and did my best work to prove to my boss that I was capable and trustworthy enough to work remotely long term. He allowed me to continue my remote work even after the other office staff returned.

If you don’t ask, you’ll never know if this is a possibility for you. You may even suggest that you work remotely instead of calling in for your FMLA rights, or ask for a short probationary period where you can prove yourself.

Finding a remote position

Don’t have a job that would allow you to work remotely? Maybe it’s time to explore your other options. A quick search for “remote” jobs on indeed showed me 171,532 jobs in the U.S. Customer service, freelance writing, IT, HR, remote nursing, and teacher opportunities, plus many more. There are a lot of remote work opportunities out there. Search Indeed to see what you may be interested in. There will be more competition for remote opportunities so be sure to brush up on your resume.

Start a business

Not seeing a remote job that excites you? How working for yourself? This one comes with a little more stress but the possibilities are exciting. With some research, a little capital, and a lot of perseverance, you could be working for yourself.

Apply HERE to work with me as a brand influencer-no experience required.

Or try one of these:

Sell physical products on one of the many platforms available.

• Amazon
• Ebay
• Etsy
• Mercari
• Letgo
• Facebook Marketplace
• Become a social marketer

Offer your services

In the “finding a remote position” paragraph above, we discussed the high competition and need to have your resume on point. If you are in HR, how about offering resume services?

What are you good at, and how can you turn that into something that people will pay for?

Some services you could offer:

• Resume writing
• Tech support
• Copy-writing
• Editing
• Customer service
• Life coach
• Wellness coach
• Business coach
• Social Media Manager
• Graphic design
• Consulting
• Marketing

Some examples of where you can list your services:

• Fiverr
• Upworks
• Freelancer
• Taskrabbit

This is by no means a comprehensive list. There are limitless opportunities for entrepreneurship. Brainstorm some business ideas and hop online to do some research. There are a ton of free resources available to help get you started. Here is a blog that features chronically ill entrepreneurs for some motivation.

Conclusion

If you need a break from working, try for FMLA or disability. If you would like to push through, look at your work environment and how you might improve on that or look for remote work options. If you feel that you would be better off working for yourself, go explore some business ideas. Perhaps you could get your business up and running while on short-term disability leave or taking time off for FMLA if you are feeling up to it.

Chronic Urticaria may have an impact on your life but it doesn’t mean that you have to stop living. We just need to learn how to adapt to live our lives as best as we can.

Have you had success with any of the above options? Comment and let us know.

Take care,

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