Today, an estimated 50 million EU citizens have two or more long-term, chronic health conditions and the ‘disease burden’ in Europe is increasingly defined by disability rather than premature mortality. The costs associated with treating chronic conditions are considerable and rising – though they are not confined to health and social care budgets. Chronic conditions carry societal costs, affecting wages, workforce participation and productivity, as well as increasing early retirement, high job turnover and disability. In the UK, for example, the employment rate for people with a long-term health condition is 60%, while it is 80% for those without.

Working while managing a long-term condition can be difficult – and it can be made harder by poor working practices. This often results in lost productivity (mainly due to absenteeism or reduced effectiveness at work, i.e. ‘presenteeism’). The rising prevalence of chronic conditions therefore has profound implications for economies, employers and government. However, with appropriate management and support, and often small adjustments, these costs can, in part, be avoided or substantially reduced.

Migraine is a highly prevalent, chronic health condition with episodic presentation. It is responsible for a significant – and rising – proportion of years lived with disability (YLDs). It is the third most common disease in the world in both males and females. Recent data show it is the second highest cause of YLDs worldwide (behind low back pain) and even more common. Coming to work when ill and working at reduced capacity amongst those aged 15-49 (amongst women in this age group it is now the first cause of disability). During these years, people are, generally speaking, at their most productive, furthering their careers and starting families. Migraine therefore has a huge impact on people’s career paths and the economy in general. The substantial costs in lost productivity attributed to migraine (mainly through absenteeism and presenteeism) illustrate this. But, importantly, these can be managed.

This paper is the culmination of a programme of work which aims to improve the experience of work for people living with migraine (PLWM). In doing so, it has sought to establish:

i. the case for action on migraine in the workplace, demonstrating that migraine is a serious condition with a substantial, but addressable, cost and impact on individuals’ working lives;

ii. what a ‘migraine-friendly’ workplace looks like; and

iii. what steps can be taken to make workplaces more migraine-friendly and thus improve the experience of work for PLWM.

Read the full report here

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