“Give yourself grace”

For many people with endometriosis, the reality of work can sometimes feel like juggling two full-time jobs: managing a career and managing a chronic pain condition.

This is something Anna Buckley, a London-based sales professional at a tech startup, knows from experience. Working a hybrid office job that requires her to be high-energy is a challenge complicated by the unpredictable nature of endometriosis flare-ups.

For Endometriosis Awareness Month, we spoke with Anna about her battle for answers, the reality of managing work while getting a diagnosis, and what she wishes employers understood.

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. It can cause severe pain, fatigue, and other symptoms that affect daily life, including work. Find out more about endometriosis in our Ask the Experts Q&A.

Anna’s uphill battle for an endometriosis diagnosis

Getting an endometriosis diagnosis was an “uphill battle” for Anna, often fought in spare moments during her workday.

Having previously been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) after experiencing irregular cycles, doctors assumed her new symptoms—brain fog, no energy, weight changes, and a "scratching" pain in the lead up to her period—could be related.

Anna describes the pain she started to feel as being like “barbed wire or electric shock,” and she recalls fighting to have this pain taken seriously by her general practitioner (GP).

“I remember in my previous job, hiding in a meeting room to speak to my GP on the phone or having to step away from my desk to take calls, trying to explain that I’d already been back so many times about this and that the pain wasn’t going away.”

Her GP refused a referral to a gynecologist unless she tried hormonal birth control for six months first. Anna pushed back, demanding that this refusal be noted in her medical records. It worked, and eventually, a referral letter arrived in the post.

Knowing how hard she’d fought for the referral, Anna prepared by tracking her symptoms, pain, and bringing proof of flare-ups (text screenshots canceling plans with friends and family).

Despite getting a clear ultrasound, Anna knew from her own research that this didn’t necessarily rule out endometriosis, and she eventually underwent laparoscopic surgery on the NHS, hoping this would provide an answer to her pain.

She talks about being in the recovery room,

“I'm pumped up on morphine, completely out of it, and I just remember the only thing I did is I looked up at the nurse…and said to them, 'Did they find it?”

Getting that “yes” and the confirmation of stage 1 endometriosis initially brought relief and validation, but now, with some distance, she admits her feelings are more complicated.

Three months after the surgery, Anna’s pain returned. She’s now scheduled for another operation at the end of this month, this time through private healthcare provided by her new job.

The reality of endometriosis in the office

Despite currently working in a supportive workplace, this has not always been the case, and she recalls a time when she requested time off for surgery, only to be met with:

“What’s this surgery then? I’ve been doing research—do you even need it?”

The skepticism didn't end there; just four days into her two-week post-op recovery, the texts and emails from work started coming in: “Are you coming back?”

Moments like this made navigating endometriosis at work even harder. Even now, in a more supportive environment where she can work from home during flare-ups, Anna admits she still deals with guilt.

"My brain automatically jumps to: ‘Am I making excuses?’"

Despite the physical reality of her endometriosis pain at work, she has never taken a full sick day for it. Instead, on a high-pain day, she puts on her headphones and focuses on admin tasks. 

When asked where this pressure to “push through” comes from, she admits it’s self-imposed, stemming from concerns about how her work ethic could be perceived if she were to take time off.

Why workplace flexibility matters

One of the hardest parts about dealing with endometriosis at work, Anna says, is the unpredictability of the condition. There are mornings when she can go into the office and be fine and “completely pain-free,” and then something triggers a flare-up out of nowhere.

Her current work setup requires three days in the office and two days at home, although if she is having a high-pain day, she can message her manager and work from home instead, a flexibility she describes as “a massive weight off my shoulders.”

Although she acknowledges that this kind of support isn’t available to everyone, “I would say it’s lucky,” she says, “but obviously it should just be normal.”

This unpredictability and difficulty around planning have also forced a mindset shift in how she views her career as a whole, adding an extra layer of complexity to every big decision, including promotions to job changes. 

The decision to disclose a diagnosis at work

Deciding to tell an employer about any health condition is a very personal and complicated decision. Initially, Anna admits, “I didn't want to bring endo to work with me”.

Previous negative workplace experiences did push her to bring up endometriosis during her next interview process. As her pain was getting worse, she realized she couldn’t be in a work environment that wouldn’t support her.

In her new role, she made it clear to the people team about any adjustments or accommodations she would need, and they have been supportive.

How to manage endometriosis symptoms at work

If you are currently navigating a 9-to-5 with endometriosis, Anna shares strategies she uses to manage endometriosis at work.

• The "emergency kit": Anna keeps a basket under her office desk with a mini hot water bottle, a TENS machine, and painkillers to reduce the "mental load" of packing for a flare-up every day.

• Find your confidants: Whether it’s a trusted colleague (Anna’s experience talking with colleagues about endo has been “overwhelmingly positive”), someone on the HR team, or a manager, having someone to "debrief" with after medical appointments can help reduce the isolation of the journey.

• Interview the employer: If comfortable, use the interview process to gauge a company’s culture. Ask how they support staff with chronic health conditions and look for things like women’s health and reproductive health benefits as a sign they may be supportive.

How workplaces can better support employees with endometriosis

Living in what Anna calls "this bubble of women’s health content,” it’s easy to feel like everyone understands endometriosis. But the reality in offices and workplaces is often very different.

“There’s still such a lack of understanding of how to actually support someone,” Anna says.

Currently, the system in most workplaces is reactive rather than proactive, and that needs to change. She points out that this is especially difficult for those who are early on in their endometriosis journey, and may not necessarily know what adjustments they need.

It’s also a case of confidence; she points out that if you’re just starting out in your career, you might not be aware of what you can ask for or necessarily have the confidence to ask for things.

She feels that the current situation “puts the onus on the employee to know what’s going to support them with work”. And ultimately believes there needs to be more knowledge within leadership so they can help point employees in the right direction when they come to them for support.

“Give yourself grace.”

As Anna prepares for her second surgery at the end of this month, she has one final message for those in a similar situation.

“Give yourself grace,” she says. “I don't think people give themselves enough credit for how mentally draining trying to get a diagnosis is.”

For anyone balancing a 9-to-5 with the "full-time job" of managing endometriosis, Anna’s stance is clear: you are already doing more than enough.

If you want to follow Anna’s journey, she shares her experiences with endometriosis and PCOS over on TikTok.

If you’re in the UK and think you may have endometriosis or need support, organizations like Endometriosis UK offer information and resources.