In July and August 2020, NRAS ran a survey asking about the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on the working lives of people living with rheumatoid arthritis or another form of inflammatory arthritis.
The survey received 348 responses and a short report will be published next month. The overall picture is a concerning one: people reported that their career opportunities, in-work support and the understanding they experienced from colleagues and employers dropped slightly during lockdown. Asked about their expectations for the future, many expected this trend to get worse.
The survey brought up positives as well: most respondents spoke of getting appropriate support and that most employers and colleagues were understanding. Many reported more flexibility from their employers – 66% were supportive or very supportive of those shielding; a further 23% were ‘only as supportive as necessary’.
The NRAS report will go into all this in more detail, but it is already clear that we must encourage employers to support staff with long-term conditions, highlight the resources and support available to them to do so, and highlight examples of good practice.