An estimated 23.3% of the working age population experience migraine, making it more common than diabetes, epilepsy and asthma combined. The Work Foundation have published Migraine at Work, a new tool for line managers which outlines evidence on the impacts of migraine for workers; examples of best practices, and a practical action plan to facilitate a discussion about support.

At the Work Foundation, we have a long-standing interest in migraine and its impact on work. Over recent years, we have developed a strong evidence base on the experiences of people living with migraine and the changes needed for them to thrive at work. Last year the Work Foundation published their ‘Society’s Headache’ report, investigating the socioeconomic impact of migraine. Its findings were astonishing.

An estimated 86m equivalent work days are lost every year due to absenteeism and presenteeism (being present but not able to work at full capacity) The resulting indirect costs of migraine are just under £8.8 billion per annum. Despite the economic (not to mention personal) cost of migraine, diagnosis and treatment is patchy. General Practitioner training dedicates a very small amount of time to the condition. Similarly, public awareness is low, with a lack of understanding and support for workers with migraine.

Many people with migraine are not supported effectively to manage their condition and maximise their potential at work. In most cases, small support measures can be implemented to enable people with migraines to manage their condition and contribute more, even in the current situation with Covid-19, where many workers find their patters disrupted. For managers, this is ‘low hanging fruit’.

Now, with the help of employers, health experts and patient support groups, we have produced new guidance for managers to enable them to better understand migraine and what they can do to support workers with the condition.

The guidance provides information on how to create a ‘migraine friendly workplace’ and identifies a range of measures that can be implemented to help people with migraine, including when working from home. The key message, however, is that support needs to be tailored to meet the needs of individuals. As symptoms vary from person to person (and sometimes from attack to attack), their needs can be very different and one size does not fit all.

The most important thing a manager can do, therefore, is listen. Providing an opportunity for workers experiencing migraine to tell you what they think can be done to support them is key. Sitting down to develop a workable support plan, should be the next step.

The Work Foundation guidance for managers includes a ‘Migraine Action Plan’ designed for workers to outline their symptoms and triggers and identify potential support measures. This provides a useful template for discussions, identifying and documenting actions that can make a difference.

Alongside offering direct support and adjustments, managers should also encourage workers to take a shared responsibility for managing their migraines. That means supporting them to live a healthy lifestyle that promotes health and wellbeing. It means enabling workers to take preventative action, such as regular exercise – the benefits of which have been highlighted more than ever during the Covid-19 pandemic. Finally, it means a regular review of support that may be needed.

Perhaps most importantly, the principles that underpin migraine friendly working practice are those that underpin good working practice for everyone. The Covid-19 crisis presents us with a once in a generation opportunity to review and re-build our working practices. Putting health at the heart of this will, not only ensure the wellbeing of our workers, but maximise productivity and build the resilience of our future economy.

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