When should I tell my employer I have Lupus?

If you have a chronic and unpredictable illness like lupus, telling your employer can be challenging.

Legally, you are not required to tell your employer about lupus.

If you are working and become too sick to continue working, you may be able to take advantage of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. Eligible employees are entitled to:

Twelve work weeks of leave in a 12-month period for:
the birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth;
the placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement;
to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition;
a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job;
any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty;” or
Twenty-six workweeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the service member’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave).

For more information on the FMLA visit https://www.dol.gov/whd/workers.htm

LSI is here to support you, the Illinois Lupus Community. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.

If you have any questions, please contact the Lupus Navigator at 312-648-6053 or email [email protected].