Benefits, accommodations help arthritis sufferers at work

Toronto – Providing workplace benefits and accommodations to employees suffering from arthritis can help them maintain concentration and the pace of work, the Institute for Work & Health said Sept. 21 in recognition of Arthritis Awareness Month in Canada.

In a study published earlier this year in Arthritis Care and Research, researchers found that selection and use of a workplace support from a wide variety offered was associated with fewer work limitations, fewer job disruptions or interruptions, less productivity loss, and fewer people reducing their work hours.

Many employers already offer workplace supports, which include extended health benefits, special equipment, flexible hours, short-term leave, work-at-home arrangements and modified schedules.

“As our workforce ages, we need to be thinking about these kinds of policies and practices, making them more widely available because they can make a difference,” Monique Gignac, a senior scientist and lead author on the study, said in a Sept. 15 video published by IWH.