Balancing your health and work when living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The right approach, rooted in preparation, open communication, and understanding your rights, can help protect both your job and your well-being. Here’s how to navigate this conversation with confidence if you live and work in the U.S.

Get Prepared: Understand Your Needs with Medical Guidance

Before speaking with your employer, start by gathering key insights from your healthcare team. Understanding your current and future needs is essential to requesting accommodations that are practical and appropriate.

Ask your doctor or care team:

• Will you need time off for treatments or checkups?
• Are there specific tasks that might worsen your condition?
• Can you work full-time, or is a modified schedule better?

Write down:

• Medications and their potential side effects
• Dialysis schedules, if applicable
• Physical limitations or symptoms that affect your day-to-day
  

Tip: Bring a written summary or a doctor’s note outlining your functional needs—not detailed medical history. This keeps your discussion focused and professional.

Speak Clearly: Framing the Conversation With Your Employer

Once you understand your needs, plan when and how to share them. Consider speaking first with your manager in a quiet setting or scheduling a meeting through HR.

Suggestions to help guide the talk:

• Be solution-oriented: “I’ve recently had some health changes. I’d like to share how I can continue doing my work well with a few adjustments.”
• Focus on performance and continuity: Reinforce your desire to remain productive and contribute to the team.
• Set boundaries: Only disclose what’s necessary for workplace support.

Document everything. If possible, follow up the conversation with an email summary to avoid confusion later. This is especially useful if workplace policies or HR processes become involved.

Know Your Rights and Where to Go for Support

Disclosing your condition to your employer can unlock important legal protections. Two major U.S. laws may apply:

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

If CKD substantially limits a major life activity (like working, walking, or eating), the ADA requires employers with 15+ employees to provide reasonable accommodations, which could include:

• Modified work hours
• Work-from-home flexibility
• Ergonomic adjustments
• Additional break times

Important: You must disclose your condition to trigger these protections. Without disclosure, your employer isn’t legally required to accommodate you.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

If eligible, FMLA grants you up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for serious health conditions like CKD.

Eligibility includes:

• Working for a company with 50+ employees
• Having been employed for at least 12 months
• Working 1,250+ hours in the past year

Need help? Your HR department or a kidney social worker can assist with:

• Filing FMLA paperwork
• Creating a written accommodation plan
• Navigating workplace insurance and benefits

Final Thought

Talking to your employer about CKD doesn’t mean sacrificing privacy or professionalism. With trusted medical input, clear communication, and knowledge of your rights, you can create a supportive work environment that respects both your career and your health.

Additional resources: 

• • American Kidney Fund. Returning to Work. https://www.kidneyfund.org/living-kidney-disease/balancing-work-family-travel/returning-work
• National Kidney Foundation. Workplace Accommodations and FMLA for People with Kidney Disease https://www.kidney.org/news-stories/workplace-accommodations-and-fmla-people-kidney-disease

To ensure that we always provide you with high-quality, reliable information, Responsum Health closely vets all sources. We do not, however, endorse or recommend any specific providers, treatments, or products, and the use of a given source does not imply an endorsement of any provider, treatment, medication, procedure, or device discussed within.