Chronic pain — from migraine attacks to musculoskeletal disorders — is hurting workers and costing businesses billions in lost productivity. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
By Lori Hoffman
In our series on the Great Disrupters — what we’re calling a group of disorders and diseases that are both chronic and chronically underdiagnosed — we spoke with workers who shared stories about their symptoms, their journey to receiving treatment, and their challenges in the workplace.
We met Olga Lucia Torres, a former criminal defense attorney who has lupus and recalled working through the pain: “We had such a high caseload that you just couldn’t take time off,” she said. “You came in with a fever. You came in sick. You came in postpartum.”
And Jaime Sanders, a long-time migraine patient, opened up about the stigma surrounding migraine, having been accused in her younger years of faking her migraine attacks. “Anyone can say they have a migraine,” Sanders said. “There’s no way you can prove it. You develop that internalized stigma about it."
The statistics around chronic conditions in the workplace can no longer be ignored: More than half of adults have at least one chronic condition, and 27% have two or more.
The effect on businesses is also staggering. Chronic conditions often lead to absenteeism and presenteeism, costing businesses $225 billion per year in lost productivity.
While each Great Disrupter is unique, there are a few key steps that can be taken to support employees, no matter their health condition.
1. Review your benefits: To understand what employees need and how to serve them better, employers can regularly review their medical plans and assess which benefits employees are using the most.
2. Fit the workplace to the worker: Support can take the form of flexibility and reasonable accommodations that address a worker’s symptoms. Examples include:
3. Plan for re-onboarding: If an employee is returning from medical leave, plan a return-to-work period for them to ease back into the day-to-day without fear or anxiety. Also, depending on the employee’s comfort level, set up a personalized interview to better understand their needs going forward.
4. Create a culture of psychological safety: Foster a work environment where people feel like they can ask for support or accommodations without fear of reprisal. When it comes to preventing workplace injuries and musculoskeletal disorders, for example, you can reward workers for identifying hazards or proposing innovative solutions. In office settings, encourage employees to advocate for their needs if a reasonable accommodation would ease their discomfort.
Most importantly, get to know your employees. Although many chronic conditions are not immediately visible to anyone but the person experiencing pain, your workers should not be invisible. Getting to know your employees and recognizing presenteeism or an unusual amount of sick time can be the first steps in recognizing a need for support. It’s time for us to interrupt the impact that the Great Disrupters are having on employees and businesses.
Click the links below to learn more about each disease or disorder, find out how it impacts the workplace, and get tips about how to support your employees.
Migraine disease is a neurological disorder characterized by severe headache attacks that can be accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. An estimated 50 million Americans, mostly women, experience migraine attacks, frequently during their prime working years of 25 to 55.
Musculoskeletal disorders, such as back strain, carpal tunnel and pinched nerve, are sometimes known as “ergonomic injuries.” They happen when repetitive tasks or overexertion cause pain and injury to the body, and can present as undiagnosed aches and pains or more severe, diagnosed conditions.
Endometriosis is a painful condition that occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. Some 11% of women are affected. Endometriosis is frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed — sometimes for years — because it shares symptoms with many other conditions. Surgery is required to provide a definitive diagnosis.
Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic fatigue syndrome, occur when the immune system becomes overactive and starts attacking the body’s own cells. (Long COVID was recently classified as an autoimmune disorder.)
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This article is the final installment in the Health Action Alliance’s six-part series on the Great Disrupters — a group of costly and “hidden” disorders and diseases that are both chronic and chronically under-diagnosed. Revisit the full series here.
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