The workers who are battling long Covid |
BBC Worklife takes a look at how ‘Long Covid’ – the term used to describe the hundreds of possible symptoms that can linger for weeks, months or even years after initial infection from Covid-19 - is affecting careers worldwide. An estimated 31 million Americans may have had long Covid at some point in the past two years, according to recent analysis from Brookings, a US-based think tank. And 1.1 million were likely out of work because of it. In the UK – where an estimated 1.8 million people were actively experiencing self-reported long Covid symptoms as of April 2022 – the Office for National Statistics found the illness is most prevalent in women, people living in “deprived areas,” social and health care workers, teachers and those in their 30s and 40s. Some workers with long Covid have reported their careers have stagnated because they're unable to put in the time or focus that employers require, and for some affected workers, it may be difficult to put in intense screen time or be constantly available for bosses and clients. The illness is presenting unprecedented challenges for employers, says Rachel Suff, a senior policy adviser at the UK’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Human resources teams are struggling to come up with possible accommodations and absence-management frameworks – and, in some cases, even trust what their employees are experiencing is real. |
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