Author : Tracey Ward, Head of Business Development and Marketing at Generali UK Employee Benefits
Migraine is one of the most common long-term and debilitating conditions for people of working age globally. Yet, maybe because it’s classed as an ‘invisible’ disability, it arguably doesn’t receive the attention it deserves when it comes to employee support requirements.
Getting the right support to the right people at the right time necessitates individuals talking about their condition; telling their boss or colleagues that they suffer from migraine and explaining how the symptoms impact their life- and work- ability.
Feeling safe to talk about such matters necessitates removing any stigma first. “The trouble with pain conditions is that they’re invisible. And in some parts of the world there is still stigma here,” explains Professor Andreas Gantenbein, a private practitioner and past president of the Swiss Headache Society. “But things have actually changed quite a bit over the last couple of years. We know this because we now have data on the sheer number of people with migraine; but there will undoubtedly be more individuals impacted than is reflected in the data.”
Scale of the migraine problem
According to a Global Burden of Disease study, headache disorders are among the most prevalent and disabling conditions worldwide.1
Research also finds that migraine is the first cause of disability in the under 50s.2
Unlike many people suffering from a chronic condition, migraine sufferers tend to continue working, as opposed to exiting the world of work, says Professor Gantenbein.
At the same time though, absenteeism from migraine alone costs £2.25 billion a year in the UK, according to latest data from charity The Migraine Trust.3
In other words, there’s an undeniable case for employers to know more about this topic, with a view to providing the support employees need.
What does the law say?
The Equality Act defines disability, but not invisible disability.4
For the latter, US not-for-profit organisation Invisible Disabilities Association, has the following definition: ‘a physical, mental or neurological condition that is not always visible from the outside, yet can limit or challenge a person’s movements, senses or activities’.5
There is no official list of disabilities – whether invisible or not. As per the Equality Act definition of disability, we’re referring here to any impairment that has a ‘substantial’ (more than minor or trivial) and ‘long-term’ (12 months or more) negative effect on a person’s ability to do normal daily activities.4
An employee has the right to request reasonable adjustments – from physical changes to the workplace to doing things another way – and the employer has a duty to consider them.6
Employer support improvements
So, what can employers reasonably do to provide better support for employees with migraine?
“The first thing is to talk about it. Ask about it and be supportive,” says Professor Gantenbein. “Identify causes of work-related stress because that can be a trigger. Flexible working hours can help. Also things like providing a room for retreat when an individual has an attack in the workplace.”
The kind of services and support included with Group Income Protection can help too; aspects such as counselling services and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs). Also services associated, such as telemedicine and psychosocial risk management; the latter to help identify and manage the underlying causes of work-related stress.
Professor Gantenbein explains that he has helped with the design of corporate healthcare management programmes, to include support for employees with migraine, for a Swiss company with subsidiaries in various countries. This included support to increase manager knowledge in the workplace and to support employee self-care – via new treatment options and digital apps to improve lifestyle factors. “This succeeded in reducing the burden of migraine from around 15 to 8 percentage points [measured by the clinical implication with Migraine Disability Points (MIDAS)],” he adds. “In the end the return on investment for the company was around 5 to 8 times each Swiss Franc spent, which is quite high in my opinion.”
The future is looking brighter for migraine patients thanks to a combination of medical and technological advancements. The workplace has an ongoing and important role to play in this, especially in reducing stigma. This is a fact not only highlighted by Professor Gantenbein, but also by the European Migraine and Headache Alliance, which runs a campaign to officially recognise companies as “friendly” migraine work environments.
To listen to Generali UK’s #Wellbeing360 podcast, with Professor Andreas Gantenbein interviewed by Daniela Masters, Head of Global Health and Wellbeing Programmes at GEB, please find ‘Episode 5: Migraine’ here: https://www.generali.co.uk/Media/Podcasts.html
Sources
1 The Journal of Headache and Pain, The global prevalence of headache: an update, with analysis of the influences of methodological factors on prevalence estimates. April 2022 https://thejournalofheadacheandpain.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s10194-022-01402-2
2 The Journal of Headache and Pain, Migraine is the first cause of disability in under 50s – will health politicians now take notice? 2018 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/269317225.pdf
3 The Migraine Trust, Managing migraine at work [Accessed 27 Oct 2022] https://migrainetrust.org/live-with-migraine/reducingtheimpact/managing-migraine-at-work/
4 Gov.uk, Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010, https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010
5 Invisible Disabilities Association, What is an invisible disability? [Accessed 27 Oct 2022] https://invisibledisabilities.org/what-is-an-invisible-disability/
6 Gov.uk, Reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities or health conditions, https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-disabled-workers
7 EMHA, Mobilize to create a migraine friendly workplace, 2019 https://www.emhalliance.org/for-workplaces/