Employers "badly failing" workers with arthritis

Jocelyn Dorrell | News | HSP
15.10.2008

More than 40% of people with arthritis are no longer in work and of these 70% cited arthritis as the main reason for leaving their jobs, according to a new report by the charity Arthritis Care.

The survey of 1161 people with the condition revealed that more than a quarter of those no longer in employment stopped working less than a year after diagnosis. Of those still in work, 85% were concerned they would have to stop working because of their arthritis.

Arthritis Care said the results of its survey show workers "are being badly failed by the health and employment services and by their employers".

Researchers found that people with arthritis were struggling in their jobs, or forced to leave work prematurely, partly because of a lack of support from employers, including refusal to make "reasonable adjustments" to accommodate them, as required by the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). Of those respondents who described support from their employers as being a significant or severe obstacle to them remaining in work, nearly 80% had requested reasonable adjustments but had been refused them.

Other reasons for struggling to stay in work included poor provision of health services and limited access to treatments, and a lack of awareness about government support schemes such as Access to Work, which gives employees and employers advice and financial support to meet extra costs that may arise.

Arthritis affects nine million people in the UK, making it the biggest single cause of physical disability.

Arthritis Care called on employers to be more understanding and for this to be reflected in sickness and disability leave policies, flexible working hours, and in commitments to making reasonable adjustments where needed. The charity also called on the Department for Work and Pensions to better publicise the support available to employers and employees, and for the government to do more to enforce the requirements of the DDA.

To download the report Working Together? Matching Work Ambitions with Health Provision for People with Arthritis visit the Arthritis Care website. For more information, see HSW's guide to supporting employees with arthritis.