Vulnerability at work. The case of chronically ill employees

One of the COVID-19 pandemic’s outcomes has been an increased focus on vulnerable workers, a broad group of people who are at a higher risk of being wounded and excluded in some way in the workplace. These include people with chronic illnesses, a group whose experiences at work have been largely overlooked by organizational research. Based on an exploratory study conducted in a large Italian company, using a sample of 1,107 workers affected by a chronic condition, this manuscript examines the work experiences of chronically ill individuals to understand what factors can facilitate or hinder their full and productive participation at work. Our findings offer insights into how to make the workplace more inclusive for this vulnerable group of workers: by encouraging them to share their health status at work, by fostering a work environment free of discrimination, and by implementing flexible work arrangements which meet their specific needs and expectations. The contribution of the study is both to theory, by extending the literature on diversity and human resource management, and practice, by offering insights into how to make the organization an aware and supportive partner in addressing the needs of employees with a chronic illness.