Supporting an employee with multiple sclerosis isn’t just about ticking boxes or following HR protocols — it’s about fostering humanity in the workplace. When you support an employee living with a condition like MS, you’re shaping their future — not just their career, but their sense of inclusion.
To support an employee effectively, your actions must go beyond well-meaning intentions. A chronic condition like MS requires flexibility, consistency, and empathy. When you support an employee facing these challenges, you’re also building a team culture grounded in respect.
Employers who actively support an employee create a ripple effect across the organisation. From morale and productivity to recruitment and retention, the benefits ripple out far beyond the individual being supported. Small decisions — like granting flexible work hours or offering tailored development opportunities — can dramatically shape outcomes.
Why Supporting an Employee with MS Matters
When you support an employee with a chronic illness like MS, you’re doing far more than meeting legal obligations — you’re laying the foundation for a resilient, inclusive workplace. MS is unpredictable. One day, a person may be thriving; the next, they may be coping with fatigue, pain, or blurred vision.
In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 protects individuals with MS from discrimination. But legislation alone cannot foster true inclusion. That responsibility falls to employers who understand that when you support an employee, you support your business.
My early days with MS were largely uneventful. I worked full time, commuted daily, and maintained a normal office routine. But there were signs. I took several sick days when bouts of optic neuritis left my vision impaired. I didn’t realise that others might have seen this as inconsistent. I carried on — as many employees do — without ever thinking to ask how my employer might support an employee like me.
Over time, I learned that genuine support goes far beyond forms and policies. It lies in flexibility, dialogue, and shared problem-solving. See Working with MS for more insights into my evolving journey.
There are countless ways to support an employee, but these three have the most lasting impact. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s progress.
3 Ways to Support an Employee with MS in the Workplace
Supporting an employee with MS isn’t about reinventing your workplace. It’s about seeing, hearing, and responding in ways that matter. The strategies below will help you support an employee through practical, proven methods. They’re not theory — they’re based on lived experience and real-world outcomes.
You might support an employee by offering task reprioritisation during flare-ups or simply by offering a moment of understanding when symptoms flare unexpectedly.
1. Make Reasonable Adjustments — Flexibility Is Key
To support an employee with MS, start with flexibility. The right reasonable adjustments for MS at work include flexible hours, remote options, and tailored accommodations. Many of these adjustments cost little — but they go a long way in helping you support an employee day to day.
Give employees the choice to work remotely when needed. Hybrid options can dramatically reduce fatigue. If you support an employee with tools like adjustable chairs or voice-activated software, you reduce their stress while maintaining performance.
Accessible parking, lifts, or rest areas also matter. Simple, respectful solutions help you support an employee and remove daily obstacles they might otherwise endure silently.
Remember, MS is often invisible. Providing quiet spaces or planning around energy levels can be powerful, proactive ways to support an employee without needing to wait for a crisis.
Clear communication is critical here. Even simple adjustments like allowing more breaks or reducing unnecessary meetings can empower someone to stay engaged without becoming exhausted.
Read Remote Work with MS to explore why flexible environments matter.
Every opportunity to support an employee in learning is a vote of confidence in their future.
2. Promote Training and Development Opportunities
One of the most overlooked ways to support an employee is through ongoing professional development. When you promote training and development, you show belief in their long-term value and aspirations — even if those aspirations evolve.
Whether it’s learning platforms or mentoring, employee career development is crucial. Create ways to support employee development that are accessible and respectful of fluctuating energy levels.
Help support an employee’s growth by offering extra time for training or shorter learning sessions. By doing so, you’re making space for ambition to flourish within new limits. You might also consider personal learning budgets or microcredentials that can be completed over longer timeframes.
Internal mentorship, job shadowing, and skill-swapping initiatives are particularly helpful when formal training feels too structured. These organic learning experiences often lead to stronger engagement.
I share more in How I Built a Side Hustle After MS Changed My Career — a reminder that supporting development opens unexpected doors. Not all development looks like promotion — sometimes it’s about building capability in new, meaningful directions.
See also: 12 Ways to Be a Good Boss and Support Your Employees
To support an employee is to acknowledge their humanity beyond job titles.
3. Create a Culture of Openness and Mental Health Support
Supporting an employee means understanding that MS doesn’t just affect the body — it touches the mind too. The mental strain of living with chronic symptoms deserves attention.
Emphasising mental health in the workplace helps normalise the conversation. Organise awareness days and encourage honest communication. By creating culture in your org that allows for vulnerability, you support an employee more effectively than you realise.
An open-door policy invites conversation. Peer support and training give colleagues the confidence to be part of the support system — not passive bystanders.
The invisible nature of MS symptoms means assumptions can be dangerous. Your culture must be adaptable, aware, and inclusive. It’s not about managing a problem — it’s about nurturing a person.
If you’re unsure how to foster mental wellbeing, start with a staff survey. Ask what would help. You might be surprised by how small changes can ease major burdens.
Read Disability Benefits for MS for how financial security supports emotional wellbeing.
How to Support Staff with Mental Health Problems (Mind) is an excellent resource for further insight.
To truly support an employee, emotional empathy must accompany structural changes.
Why Emotional Support Matters
When managers engage in regular check-ins and avoid assumptions, they support an employee beyond the contract. Emotional support isn’t an HR luxury — it’s a leadership necessity.
Just because someone isn’t visibly struggling doesn’t mean they don’t need support. Build trust, listen actively, and offer space to express when things get hard.
Support an employee by validating their lived reality. If you’re not sure what they need, ask. Then act.
Managers who support an employee instead of penalising them build trust and loyalty. Loyalty, in turn, builds productivity and reduces costly turnover.
Real Workplace Challenges and What Not to Do
Many managers struggle when they believe they must deal with difficult employees. But before labelling someone as difficult, ask: what if we simply don’t understand what they’re managing?
MS can cause delays, absences, or mood changes. When you support an employee with this context in mind, you shift from discipline to understanding. Assumptions are often the enemy of retention.
Employees shouldn’t have to prove their pain. You support an employee best by offering discretion and assuming good faith. When in doubt, believe your people.
Financial worries are another layer of stress. See Claiming PIP with MS for guidance, and People with MS Leave Jobs to understand the stakes.
Also: 7 Strategies for Supporting Employees in the Workplace
When you continually support an employee through career evolution, you’re fostering a healthy work culture — one built not just on loyalty but on mutual respect.
Building Long-Term Support Structures
You support an employee best when you look beyond the short term. Long-term planning — from return-to-work strategies to phased transitions — improves retention and morale. It’s easier to retain good people than to replace them.
Job retention depends on communication. Don’t wait for problems. Ask regularly: how can we support an employee with evolving needs?
Refer to disability rights, and be proactive. Phased returns allow employees to rebuild confidence while staying connected to their teams. Even informal flexibility can work wonders.
Explore alternative roles or job crafting. When you support an employee with these discussions, you’re honouring their value, not questioning their capacity.
Include practical planning sessions, regular health-related reviews, or even optional self-assessments for the employee to complete privately.
See Jobs for People with MS and BetterUp: Supporting Employees
These are just some of the ways you can support an employee with MS.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you support employees?
Be consistent. Ask questions. Provide adjustments. Emotional support, clear expectations, and flexible systems go a long way to support an employee with MS. Never assume one solution fits all. Adaptation is key.
What are the 5 C’s of employee engagement?
Clarity, Confidence, Connection, Contribution, and Care. Each one helps you support an employee meaningfully and sustainably. They’re not buzzwords — they’re foundations for loyalty and growth. Invest in each of these and you’ll find your team invests back.
How do you emotionally support your staff?
Check in often. Avoid judgement. Recognise that supporting mental health is part of how you support an employee, not separate from it. Demonstrate flexibility and follow through on what you promise. Use compassionate communication and validate their experience.
How to support someone in their work?
Adapt the environment. Provide training. Recognise effort, not just output. Every small gesture helps support an employee through challenges. Ask, adjust, and affirm. Consistency and transparency go a long way.
To support an employee with MS is to lead with empathy and long-term vision.
Conclusion — True Support Goes Beyond Policy
To support an employee with MS is to recognise their whole self — not just their productivity. When you take steps to support an employee with empathy and clarity, you invest in something larger than just one role.
Your employees remember how you made them feel — especially when life became difficult. Supporting an employee shows you value their presence, not just their performance.
This approach enhances morale, increases retention, and protects your organisation’s reputation as a compassionate, inclusive place to work.
See Working with MS: Purpose and Perseverance for more on this journey.
When you support an employee with intention and flexibility, everyone benefits — not just the person with MS. And when that support becomes a part of your culture, it transforms more than one life — it transforms your workplace.
