You’ve made progress on mental health, menopause, and parental leave. Now it’s time to close the gap with chronic illness.
We train leaders to support the 1 in 3 workers who aren’t “sick enough to stop” but are quietly slipping through the cracks.
Why should I care
The reports and research supporting chronic illness are endless - but the support services are limited.
1m
More than 1 million Australians in leadership roles live with chronic illness. Chronic illness doesn’t just affect junior staf - it affects every level.
Source: University of Melbourne (2024)
50%
50% of Australian workers with chronic illnesses choose not to disclose their condition to employers due to fear of stigma and discrimination, leading to unaddressed support needs.
Source: ABS
37%
of individuals with chronic health conditions have left a job due to their health, primarily because of work-related stress and lack of workplace support.
40%
73% of people believed their chronic illness was at least partially caused or worsened by their job
Source: University of Melbourne (2024)
And the benefits for
workplaces are clear
The outcomes
​
By the end of Sick@Work, your organisation will:
​
-
Reduce stigma and increase safe disclosure and support-seeking.
-
Increase psychological safety and team effectiveness. Rework
-
Implement lightweight systems for continuity when health is unpredictable.
-
Improve use of lawful, reasonable adjustments and existing supports like EAP.
-
Track progress with practical metrics tied to culture and performance.
The foundation of inclusion is action.
From leadership training to lived-experience toolkits, we help you build support into every level of your organisation.
Lived experience based employee support
Chronic illness and invisible disability can make navigating work feel like a full-time job in itself. That’s why we’ve built practical, ready-to-use resources that meet people where they are - no endless Googling, no guessing what to say, no HR translation required.
​
What’s Inside:
-
Request & Disclosure Templates
Email scripts and forms to ask for adjustments with clarity and confidence. -
Checklist Packs
Flare-friendly planning, fatigue management, and “what to ask for” guides. -
Self-Advocacy Tools
Practical strategies for setting boundaries, tracking needs, and protecting your energy. -
Community Access
A private online space with real-time chats for specific conditions, career support, and lived-experience mentoring.
For employees who are managing invisible struggles - and workplaces that want to do better but don’t know where to start - this is support that actually works.
THE DIFFERENCE
Why choose us?
Built by people who get it
We design and deliver with lived experience of chronic illness. Your teams hear real stories, learn practical tools, and leave with steps they can use the same day.
​
Custom to your company and team
We co-design scenarios, policies, and playbooks that fit your roles, rosters, and risk profile. No generic slides. No fluff.
​
Peer and manager training that works together
Managers learn safe, lawful conversations and system fixes. Peers learn how to back each other up without overstepping. The result is one shared way of working.
​
Increases productivity and workplace satisfaction
We reduce the chaos of last-minute handovers with simple continuity plans, clear norms, and flexible options that keep delivery on track and people engaged.
What you get
✅ Lived-experience workshop, live or online, 90 or 120 minutes​
✅ Team continuity plan template and quick-start guides
✅ Manager micro-scripts for tricky moments
✅ Reasonable adjustments catalogue mapped to your context
✅ Flare plan and return-to-work checklist
✅ Comms pack to promote supports without stigma