Education

Leadership Coaching for Women with Chronic Illnesses

Professional women are a crucial part of the workforce, especially those in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who often hold significant leadership roles. However, many of these women face substantial challenges due to chronic illnesses, which can severely impact their work performance and career progression. Chronic illnesses are long-lasting conditions that can be managed but not cured, and they include a range of diseases such as autoimmune disorders, diabetes, heart disease, and chronic pain conditions.

Chronic illnesses can lead to physical, mental, and emotional challenges that affect self-efficacy, productivity, absenteeism, and retention. Women with chronic illnesses often experience fatigue, pain, and stress, which can be exacerbated by demanding work environments.

Woman working while navigating chronic illness

%

The proportion of Canadians who lived with at least one major chronic disease (Government of Canada, 2024).
Higher Rates in Women
Women are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions than men. For instance, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is two to three times more common in women than in men and 9 out of 10 people with lupus are women (CDC, Women’s Health matters).

The Cost

The economic impact of chronic illnesses on the workforce is significant. The direct and indirect costs associated with lost productivity, absenteeism, and employee turnover due to chronic illnesses are substantial.
60 Billion
The estimated annual cost of lost productivity in Canada due to chronic pain conditions (Health Canada, 2020)

Employers who ignore the impact of chronic illnesses on their workforce are at risk of losing valuable talent and incurring higher operational costs. Addressing these issues through supportive measures and leadership coaching can improve retention rates, enhance productivity, and reduce overall costs.

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Female executive
References

  1. Government of Canada – Health of Canadians report (2024)
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Managing Chronic Pain.” (2022). CDC
  3. Health Canada. (2020). Canadian Pain Task Force Report 2020. Government of Canada. Retrieved from Health Canada
  4. World Health Organization (WHO). “Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion.” (2021). WHO
  5. Government of Canada – Prevalence of Chronic Diseases Among Canadian Adults (2019) Government of Canada
  6. National Institutes of Health (NIH). “Chronic Illnesses and Conditions.” (2020). NIH
  7. Harvard Business Review – “Employers, It’s Time to Talk About Chronic Illnesses” (2020). HBR
  8. Temkin SM, Barr E, Moore H, Caviston JP, Regensteiner JG, Clayton JA. Chronic conditions in women: the development of a National Institutes of health framework. BMC Womens Health. 2023 Apr 6;23(1):162. doi: 10.1186/s12905-023-02319-x. PMID: 37024841; PMCID: PMC10077654. Temkin
  9. Government of Canada – Public Health Agency of Canada, using Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System data files contributed by provinces and territories (2019) “Chronic diseases in women compared to men” Government of Canada
  10. Women’s Health Matters – “Women experience chronic conditions differently to men.” Women’s Health Matters
  11. CDC – “Fast Facts: Health and Economic Costs of Chronic Conditions” – CDC
  12. The Commonwealth Fund – “Lost Labor Time” Costs U.S. $260 Billion Each Year – The Commonwealth Fund
  13. Rojanasarot, S., Bhattacharyya, S. K., & Edwards, N. (2023). Productivity loss and productivity loss costs to United States employers due to priority conditions: a systematic review. Journal of Medical Economics, 26(1), 262–270. Rojanasarot
  14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Arthritis: A Leading Cause of Work Disability.” (2018). CDC

Disclaimer: This one-pager offers a summary of key topics in women's health, supported by research data and sources. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not replace detailed academic studies. For more comprehensive and detailed insights, please refer to the original research cited.