Joe Patternoster
By Joe Patternoster, Assistant Research Psychologist at Young Epilepsy
As part of our Authenticity in the Workplace project, we invited students to submit questions to professionals from a wide range of sectors and backgrounds, including individuals who identify with diverse communities. These conversations offer valuable insights into what authenticity means in different contexts.
I have epilepsy, and whilst thankfully it is well controlled, it’s still affected me in the workplace from time-to-time. This goes alongside a more recent diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, which has affected my day-to-day more severely at times.
What advice would you give to a student about disclosing an invisible illness during the recruitment process and in the workplace?
Did anything put you off doing this?
Doing it immediately has been the best thing in my experience.
It helps that my illness has shaped a lot of my experiences that have grown my skills – I volunteered for years at an epilepsy charity because of my condition. So I guess that’s one thing I would say – use your condition positively, to try and grow those skills.
Your illness is often unique to you, which can actually help you stand out amongst a sea of candidates in a very competitive graduate landscape. In theory, what might put me off is if the employer leans against hiring me because of my condition, but the way I see it is if an employer would do that, it’s not going to be a welcoming place for you to work. Besides, I have loads of doctor’s appointments as well, so they will find out in the end anyway.
What’s been your lived experience of managing work alongside doctor's appointments, reasonable adjustments and so on?
Hybrid working has helped massively – adjusting my work from home days for when I have an appointment is a game changer.
My employers have generally been all for helping me with reasonable adjustments. One particularly generous example was when I started on immunosuppressants – I was exhausted all the time, no matter how much sleep I got, and my manager said I was more than welcome to nap during the day as long as I let them know.
This was only possible as I was so open with them about it – we’d built up rapport where they would trust I would get the work done.
I suppose trust works both ways – there have been times when I have had a large amount of doctor's appointments within a short period, and my employers have tended to be very understanding as I’m so open with them about what’s going on. Admittedly, that approach isn’t for everyone – I happen to “own” my condition like a badge of honour – but I find on the whole honesty is the best approach.
What has helped you to feel like you can perform at you best at work while managing your illness?
Setting boundaries and knowing my limits has been crucial, especially when my health dips. Again, that involves a deal of openness with your employer, helping them understand what might be limiting you.
This doesn’t just apply to physical health too – looking after your mental health in these situations is essential as well. There was an instance where I was banned from driving for a year unexpectedly due to my epilepsy. I was absolutely devastated, and told my manager immediately in quite an emotional state. I was then allowed the rest of the day off, as it was clear I needed to take some time for mental health reasons. Again, it’s all a trust thing – my manager knew I wouldn’t be exploiting the situation – this was real, this was genuine.
Of course, the other aspect to that is when I am healthy, when I am able to perform my best, then I put the work in! I feel that’s also very important, when you have an employer that is going that extra mile for you (which I have been fortunate enough to have had), you should also try and go that extra mile for them, health permitting.
Why is it important to you that people are able to bring their best authentic selves to work?
Most of your week is spent at work. Most of my life has been spent, and will be spent, with a chronic condition. I can’t “turn off” having the condition, and by consequence not being my authentic self at work would be incredibly challenging.
I’m sure most people put on a face of some kind at work, but I have found my most enjoyable work experiences have been those where I can be as authentic as possible. A happy employee is going to be motivated to be a more productive one, so it works out for the business too.
Find out more about authenticity in the workplace and the experiences of professionals from a wide range of sectors and backgrounds.
Posted on Tuesday 13th January 2026