HR Happy Hour 410 - Supporting Employees with Autoimmune Disease

Hosts: Steve Boese, Trish McFarlane

Guest Holly Bertone, Founder & CEO, Pink Fortitude

This week on the HR Happy Hour Show, Steve and Trish were joined by Holly Bertone, Founder and CEO of Pink Fortitude, who is also the author of “Thriving in the Workplace with Autoimmune Disease: Know Your Rights, Resolve Conflict, and Reduce Stress”, the first book to educate others on autoimmune disease as a legal disability in the workplace.

Holly shared insights on autoimmune disease, its prevalence among the US population, the challenges that people who have autoimmune diseases experience with work, and some of the ways that employers can better support and accommodate people with these conditions.  

Holly also discussed the importance of understanding these conditions, how they often can be unpredictable in their manifestation, and how flexibility in work schedules is an important consideration for people with autoimmune diseases. Finally, Holly shared her insights and advice for both employees who are wrestling with these issues and how employers and HR leaders can continue to improve how they help and support their workforces.

Additionally, we talked about recording the podcast early in the morning, the benefits of working in HR in a chocolate factory, and more.

Learn more about the Pink Fortitude here. And connect with Holly on LinkedIn here.

This was a really interesting show, thanks to Holly for joining us!