A few months ago, I had a flare up of my symptoms. My pain escalated and the brain fog made it almost impossible to think straight for more than 10 minutes at a time. Obviously, this wasn’t great for my business…but one of the perks to working from home when you’re chronically ill is that you can be creative when getting the work done.
When I reached out to my clients to tell them that I needed to take a few days off, it was the first time a few of them had been impacted by my illness. One said to me, “I had absolutely no clue you were balancing all of this.”
When to tell a client about your illness is such a personal decision. For some, the nature of the illness means that it wouldn’t be responsible to avoid that conversation for too long. For others (like me), our illness is managed enough that we can make adaptations on our end so the client isn’t really impacted.
Also, ableism is REAL. Even the most amazing business owner will have concerns over your ability to get the job done if you mention that you’re living with chronic illness. In my experience, when they know that you get the job done they’re more likely to be understanding. It’s not like I hide my illness–a simple Google search will land on this blog–but it’s not something that directly impacts my ability to do the job so I don’t mention it right away.
That’s not to say that I don’t have detailed plans on what will happen with things go sideways. For most spooniepreneurs, there’s no way to avoid the fact that your illness will impact your business at some point. But there are a few things you can do to plan ahead.
Here are the five safeguards I have in place for working from home when you’re chronically ill:
1. Always know your back up plan.
Working with a team of virtual assistants is such a smart move. When I started as a VA, I was a subcontractor for an amazing business owner who was available to step in if I needed to take some time off. Now I have my own team that can support me when needed. If you want to have an ongoing partnership with clients, you need to have a partnership with a VA who can step in when needed or you need to stick with taking on one-off projects that are more forgiving.
2. Build a set of standard operating procedures.
As you’re working one week, use loom recordings to record everything you do on a regular basis for the client. If you have time, to use the video to write a step-by-step guide with passwords and other relevant information, it’s even better. When you need to hand off the tasks to someone else, they’ll have all the information they need to step in for you.
3. Create a canned email letting your clients know about your illness and your backup plan.
Seriously, do this beforehand. It will save you so much time and brainpower when you feel awful. For my business, there are two different emails. The first shares that I’m not feeling well and will be working different hours than normal. I let the client know response times will be slower but that I’ll be able to get their tasks done on time.
The second is only sent when I’m in a flare and won’t be able to work for a few days. I share that I’m ill and need to step away for a few days. Over-communication is your friend at this point. Tell the client if you’re in the hospital or if you are having tests run. In this email, I will also share who will be working on the client’s projects during that time (and cc that person on the email) and reassure the client that there are SOPs and other plans there to make things as seamless as possible.
4. Have a list of what needs to happen when you’re sick that’s easily accessible for your support system.
If you are in the hospital, your loved one needs to be able to let your clients know what’s going on. Make sure they have the password to your computer and email. Give them a quick guide to accessing your canned emails or contacting a team member who can send out the needed emails. I’ve never had to use this step but it’s given me some peace of mind when things are touch and go.
5. Keep your clients updated.
When I’m out sick, I will send quick updates to everyone to let them know how things are going. You can share as much as you’re comfortable with but the more you can keep them informed, the more understanding they will be about your absence. Be sure to give yourself permission to return slowly as well. If you need to work shorter days, let the client know when they can expect their work to be done.
How do you feel about sharing your illness with a client? What plans do you have in place to manage working from home when you’re chronically ill?
