Success Story – Finding A New Career With Chronic Illness

birdys eye view of somebody sat at a wooden desk working at a computer, representing finding a new career with chronic illness

Like many people with chronic illnesses, it took several years for Lisa to be diagnosed with her condition. Her experiences of endometriosis and osteopenia made her existing work as a bartender (travelling all over the world) increasingly inaccessible, and it became necessary to find a new plan of action. Since then, Astriid has been supporting […]

Success Story – Finding A Better Balance Between Work And Chronic Illness

a laptop on an outdoor table with plants in the background, symbolising finding a better balance between work and chronic illness

“I knew I couldn’t do anything as physically demanding as I used to. It was really difficult to find a job that matched my very specific needs… I came across Astriid while I was researching help for chronically ill people looking for employment, and I was just thrilled because it was exactly what I needed”. […]

Astriid Calls For Employers To Include Flexible Working Options In Job Advertisements

Hands working on a laptop on a table at home, symbolising flexible working options

More than 16 organisations, including Astriid, have come together to call for a requirement for employers to include flexible working options in job advertisements. “As part of its 2019 election manifesto, the Conservative Party committed to consulting on making flexible work the default. We welcome today’s announcement but it is simply not enough. The Government’s […]

Success Story – Entering A Tech Career With Chronic Illness

an open laptop with coding on the screen, representing tech career with chronic illness

Today, we’re in conversation with Samantha, a former Police Officer and Astriid Candidate who’s now embarked on a tech career with chronic illness and become an integral part of WithYouWithMe. To find out more about her chronic illness story and how Astriid helped to match her with her new role, keep reading! Hi Samantha! Would […]

Job-Matching For Students and Graduates With Chronic Illness

a group of students sat comfortably around a table working on a creative project, representing students and graduates with chronic illness

Thinking about life after college or university can feel daunting, especially if you have a chronic illness or long-term health condition. You might be looking for an exciting career that matches your skill level and experience, but perhaps you’re struggling to find suitably ambitious roles that are part-time, home-based, or with understanding employers. If you’re […]

How To Identify Your Best Hours For Working With A Chronic Illness

notebook, pen and coffee in bed, representing identifying optimal hours for working with a chronic illness

Guest post by Astriid Volunteer Lucy Spirit For those with chronic illness, the scene will be familiar. It was another day dressed in greying pyjamas, curled up on the sofa with atrocious daytime TV blaring in the background and my faithful phone glued to my side for company. As with many countless long and sometimes […]

We Need To Talk About The Disability Pay Gap

an empty chair at a desk with a laptop slightly open on the table, representing the disability pay gap

The TUC’s recently published analysis shows that non-disabled workers now earn a sixth (17.2%) more than disabled workers. The pay gap between disabled and non-disabled workers now stands at £2.05 an hour – or a difference of £3,731 per year for someone working a 35-hour week. This effectively means that disabled workers work for free for […]

Rising Numbers Of People Are Falling Out Of Employment Due To Long-Term Illness

illustration of a woman sat at a desk in front of her laptop, with her head in her hands. she has a lamp and a cup of tea on each side of her.

The UK economy is losing talented workers to Long Covid, other chronic health conditions and mental ill health.  Concerning figures from the ONS this month show a steep rise in the number of people falling out of employment due to long-term illness. Astriid believes some of this loss of talent could be prevented if businesses adopted a disability-inclusive framework to the challenge of long-term sickness.  169,000 more people have fallen […]

Why the Future of Work is Brighter for Disabled and Neurodivergent Workers

woman sat at a desk looking at her laptop, symbolising future of work

Guest blog post by Jiselle Simmons Closing the employment gap in the UK can be achieved by welcoming disabled and neurodivergent individuals into the workforce. In a previous article on ‘Enabling Change Through an Inclusive Workplace’, we discussed how organisations can better foster equity and inclusion through bold leadership, comprehensive policies, and an empowering work environment. […]

Enabling Change Through An Inclusive Workplace

enabling change illustration, showing hands curved around each other to form a circle

Written by Astriid Volunteer Sabeeha Kassam In 2020, Accenture published their Enabling Change; Getting To Equal Report. Here’s what you need to know about their findings and how their conclusions can impact inclusivity in the workplace. Researchers interviewed 6,000 respondents with a disability across a variety of sectors. They also surveyed 1,748 executives (of which […]