Epilepsy in the workplace

Computers dominate. I’m using one right now.

Most of us, regardless of what career path we choose, will spend the best part of our day in front of a computer screen. Excessive screen time will impact many, not just those who have epilepsy. Headaches, migraines, dry eyes will become all too common.

For people with epilepsy, the consequence could be the more frequent manifestation of our condition.

I’ve seen this with myself. Presently, I sit at a computer for approximately eight hours each day. That’s not including time I waste procrastinating on Instagram and scrolling Goodreads in the evenings.

Before this, I had a job where my average screen time was around three hours per week. The transition was one I keenly felt. Seizures and petit mals (absences) dramatically increased. The headaches came and with it a loss of appetite.

Suggestions that may help:

• If possible, request an office space next to the window. The more natural light, the better.

• Use a screen cover or Z1 lens glasses to help reduce glare from the computer screen.

• If you’re comfortable, have a conversation with colleagues seated closest to you. Let them know about your condition and what to do, should you have a seizure. 

A message to managers:

For me, when it comes to the workplace, I see it as a two-way street. There are adjustments I can make to help myself (like the suggestions above) and then there are the adjustments that I would expect management to make.

If, by chance, there is a manager or a team leader reading this, I’d ask you to consider the following accommodations:

• Consider the possibility of offering remote working. Failing that, adjust work schedules. If you’re reading this and asking ‘why’, it’s simple. Familiar surroundings are more comfortable. I would much prefer a seizure in the comfort of my own place rather than in the middle of the office in front of my colleagues.

• Tailor your expectations when it comes to performance. Most probably, there will be days when retaining information is more difficult or tasks take longer than usual.

• Be mindful of transportation. If out-of-office meetings are arranged, take accessibility via public transport into account. In some cases, (including my own) people with epilepsy may not be allowed to drive. 

• Enrol on a first-aid training course and have team members do the same. It’s an easy way to help prevent serious injury.

• Have a conversation with the employee, taking care to respect their boundaries, and take the time to learn more about their condition.

Epilepsy and workplace anxiousness

Work can induce anxiousness and stress. According to a Workplace Health Report, 76% of individuals in the UK are currently experiencing moderate to high levels of stress.^[1] This works out at around 13.7 million working days lost each year owing to work related stress, anxiety and depression^[2].

For some, this can impact their epilepsy. In turn, the more seizures a person is having, the more anxious they may start to feel. And so, the vicious cycle begins.

Addressing anxious feelings is a complicated one.

We have, thankfully, moved on from the narrative that such feelings can be easily fixed with some exercise, diet changes and a solid nine hour sleep each night. Certainly, these will have a positive contribution, but any argument that anxiousness or stress can be resolved overnight thanks to a five-kilometre run is, needless to say, a gross misconception.

I will not prescribe a ‘lifestyle’ for you. Like I said, you know your condition best. The following suggestions have personally helped me reduce anxiousness at the workplace. Consequently, this has helped me manage my epilepsy.

• Identify the anxiety-inducers at work. If specific tasks are provoking unmanageable stress levels (which could impact your condition) then speak to management.

• Maintain a healthy work-life balance. If possible, do not take work home with you. It’s important that the anxiousness or stress you may be experiencing at the office doesn’t filter into your personal space.

• Experiment with your lifestyle. I’ve noticed that when I have a solid eight-hour sleep, then my anxious levels dip. As a result, so does the frequency of my seizures. For others, lowering caffeine intake or sugars can make a noticeable difference. 

The statistics and testimonies are evidence enough: there’s still a way to go when it comes to disability support in the workplace. Employers, rather than shying away from the ‘inconvenience’ of a person with epilepsy, need to accommodate. It comes down to legal obligation and, one would like to think, an indisputable moral one too.

I understand the sentiment that it shouldn’t be mandated that the sufferer should also be the teacher. The responsibility of educating colleagues about epilepsy shouldn’t fall to the worker who has the condition, in the same way that tackling the casual use of homophobic language in the office shouldn’t fall to the only openly gay employee.

Nowadays, information has never been more readily available and easily found.

That said, I am comfortable talking about my condition. I understand that people want to ask me questions rather than gather and collate what they can find from nameless individuals on the internet. If, like me, you’re comfortable with talking about your condition to your colleagues, then get the conversation rolling.

^[1] https://championhealth.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/workplace-health-report-2023.pdf

^[2] https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/dayslost.htm