Arthritis is a medical umbrella term that encompasses many different joint conditions. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, all including some form of joint pain or disease. The most common forms include osteoarthritis, autoimmune inflammatory arthritis (including rheumatoid arthritis), infectious arthritis, and gout.
All of the forms of arthritis can make it difficult for someone living with the condition to work and stay in active employment. The pain and associated difficulties can qualify someone living with arthritis as disabled. This means that people with arthritis are entitled to extra support in work, both in the recruitment and active employment stages.
A lot of people with arthritis don’t know exactly what they are entitled to at work. A lot of employers don’t either. To help counteract this, we have created this page within our Disability Advice Hub to help inform both people with the condition and those employing them, on what your rights at work are and what kind of support you can and should receive.
Support for Employees with Arthritis
The first point to address in this topic is disclosure to your employer. You are not legally obligated to inform your employer if you develop arthritis when you are working with them. You are also not required to inform them of your condition at any point in the recruitment stage. It is illegal for employers to make any decision regarding your employment based on your disability.
However, to get the work-based support you need, disclosing your experience with arthritis can be key. Once your employer knows of your condition, they are legally obliged to make the reasonable adjustments you need to carry out your work in a safe and manageable way. They cannot refuse reasonable adjustment claims and if they are struggling to make the change due to financial concerns, you can consult the Access to Work scheme for help.
Getting the right reasonable adjustments at work can be life-changing for someone with a disability such as arthritis. They can make the difference between needing to leave work altogether or being able to stay in a job you enjoy long-term.
Helpful Reasonable Adjustment Examples
Some adjustments that may be particularly helpful to those with arthritis include…
- Working from home, all of the time or on a hybrid basis
- Changes to the physical working environment, including adapted chairs and desks
- Flexible working hours
- Time off for doctor’s appointments and treatment
- Longer break times
- Paid transport to and from work (via the Access to Work scheme)
- Exemption from external training courses and excursions that may be physically inaccessible
Working in a way that is adapted to suit your needs is much more manageable. Remember that you are entitled to these modifications and your employer legally must make them where possible.
If you are working for an employer that you don’t think is willing to make the changes you need or who isn’t open enough to talk about disability at work, you might be considering a change of job. In that case, you can find a disability-friendly and accessible job on our disability-friendly job board.
Make sure to check out our jobs for people with arthritis.
You should always go where you are respected and treated well. Anything else simply isn’t good enough.
How Employers Can Help Employees with Arthritis
Arthritis can make it very difficult for your employees to feel comfortable at work. The pain and associated symptoms can make it much more complicated for them to stay at work and complete their duties as other non-disabled employees may do. Some employees with arthritis may even feel that they need to leave their position entirely due to their disability.
As such, it is key that employees support their employees with arthritis as best as possible so that they may feel comfortable at work and be able to continue in their position as long as they would like to.
Some ways in which employers can help employees with arthritis include:
- Responding to all reasonable adjustments requests in a timely manner
- Checking out all your options for financial support, grants and help
- Working with Occupational Health to ensure that your employee is being supported in the best way possible in relation to their health
- Being patient and understanding in all conversations around disability and related needs
- Creating an inclusive, disability-friendly working environment via events, training, and awareness for all members of staff
How you treat your disabled members of staff has a huge impact. Not only on them but on the wider staff force. If you offer your disabled members of staff adequate and appropriate support, it will increase staff satisfaction, loyalty, and retention throughout your company. As word spreads about your disability-friendly nature, it will also increase interest in applying to your company for jobs.
Ultimately, being a disability-friendly employer is great for everyone involved. If you want to learn about how to do so, check out the services for employers on our site. You can become a Disability-Confident employer and connect with a diverse pool of candidates through our disability-friendly job board.
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