Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER DECEMBER 2019 6 NEWS Arthritis impacting many workers New suite of resources available to help employers better understand disease BY SARAH DOBSON FOR MANY, arthritis is seen as an old person's disease. But arthritis can affect men and women in their prime working years — which is why it deserves a lot more attention in the form of awareness, education and accommodation. On that note, the Arthritis Society has rolled out a suite of resources to help employers and employees better understand the disease. ere are many employers with staff affected by arthritis, and they may not be aware of it, says Sian Bevan, chief mission officer at the Arthritis Society in Toronto. "It's important to understand what accommodations they need around managing their chronic disease. I think that's critical. And then the actual resources them- selves, really around disclosure accommodations and making things as simple and straightfor- ward for people." In the workplace context, ar- thritis is unpredictable and that's a challenge, says Bevan. People may not know when a flareup is about to come — they might be OK one day but not the next. "ere are many different ways that arthritis impacts people, whether it relates to pain, physi- cal abilities, fatigue," she says. It's the daily challenge of man- aging the disease and working around what people are living with in terms of pain, fatigue and joint issues, says Kelly Lendvoy, vice-president of communica- tions and public affairs at Arthri- tis Consumer Experts (ACE) in Vancouver. "It's not just disability, its pro- ductivity and it's absenteeism." If the employee and employer work together in terms of chron- ic disease management, they're going to start seeing positive results in terms of less absentee- ism, more productivity and fewer mistakes, he says. "ere is a way out of this mire that we're in right now [because] these costs are obviously not sus- tainable, not just for employers, but they're not sustainable for public drug plans, private drug plans, etc. So, there's light at the end of the tunnel, but still a lot more work to be done." Looking at the numbers Arthritis is a chronic disease that affects six million Canadians, and with an aging population, that number is projected to reach nine million by 2040, says Bevan. "It's actually the most common chronic condition in the country, with one in five adults currently being affected," she says. "Arthri- tis is one of the leading causes of workplace disabilities and causes limitations in the workplace." And it's not just a disease of the elderly, says Bevan. "e incidence of arthritis does go up over 65, though we see a good number of people in the population affected at a younger age — really in the prime of their lives when they're trying to thrive in their careers." ere are two main types of ar- thritis, the most common being osteoarthritis — where cartilage at the end of joints starts to wear down — and the more serious be- ing inflammatory arthritis — an autoimmune disease where the body's immune system attacks the joints. But there are more than 100 different types of the disease. Risk factors include obesity, gender and previous injuries. And despite the commonality of the disease, there is no cure. "One of the challenges is that arthritis is not just one disease. So, we're talking about 100 different diseases and there'll be different cures," says Bevan. Too often, people say, "Oh well, it's just arthritis," she says, and that can come from both patients and health-care providers. "One of the things that we are trying to do a much better job of is really increasing awareness of the severity of the disease because ar- thritis is a devastating disease for those who it affects." Treatment options Treatment for arthritis can be very different, depending on whether its inflammatory versus osteo- arthritis, says Cheryl McClellan, COO at the Arthritis Society. For the latter, therapeutic exercise, weight management and physical therapy are all important in treat- ing the disease, along with certain drug options that help manage the symptoms. "e kinds of drugs that people are taking are among the most expensive that are being covered either through public or private plans," she says. With inflammatory arthritis, there is no cure. And most of these employees who have it end up having to go on expensive bio- logics, says Lendvoy. "All of a sudden, it becomes a major pressure on a drug and ben- efit plan for a plan sponsor." e best thing is if people can seek advice and treatment early, he says. "e quicker they can get that diagnosis and the quicker they can get on treatment, in many cases, they won't have to go on a biologic. at's the window of opportunity. If they have to go on a biologic, there's a very good chance that they're going to be able to be back to work and pro- ductive within months of starting that therapy, but it's really critical about timing." Also, there are disease-mod- if ying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to help, says Lendvoy. "If we get that employee diag- nosed early on, to treatment ear- ly, they're going to be a positive contributor on the job, and [the employer is] going to be saving money in the long term." Accommodations Among people living with arthri- tis, roughly 40 per cent require some degree of accommodation at work, says Douglas Emerson, senior manager of communica- tions at the Arthritis Society. And while HR departments might know this, managers may not be aware, he says. "Employees themselves who are living with this disease may not themselves appreciate that it's something that is actually protect- ed under the AODA [Accessibil- ity for Ontarians with Disabilities Act] that employers do have a re- sponsibility to accommodate their needs and to have that conversa- tion and provide those supports." Overcoming people's reluc- tance to discuss this disease is a real challenge, says Emerson. So, it's about making cultural changes and creating a welcoming, sup- portive and understanding envi- ronment where employees feel comfortable to come forward. "They don't have to discuss their condition, but they can dis- cuss their needs and find common ground with their manager and with their employer to accom- modate those needs and improve their performance [and] improve the quality of life," he says. In terms of the actual work- place, it's about structuring it so "that someone has the flexibility to be able to be productive and thrive and work in ways that don't compound that disease," says McLellan. Employees with arthritis appre- ciate having more flexible work arrangements and more freedom or autonomy in how they do their job and organize their schedule, says Lendvoy. "If you can allow these people to start or finish later — morn- ings are always really difficult because of the increased pain and stiffness," he says. "Employers are [also] looking at split shifts, short- er consecutive hours and allowing that opportunity for rest." Employees with arthritis should also have the right to re- fuse overtime, he says, "especially when their disease is not well controlled, without being judged or prejudiced." Accommodation also means having the ability to take more breaks or be away from work for periods of time. Ergonom- ics are also beneficial, whether it's a standing workstation, small modifications to the desk or wrist support at the keyboard, says McLellan. "It's very much tailored to the individual," she says. "A lot of that is more about education and awareness and small modi- fications as opposed to anything that's terribly onerous on the employer." Cancer Assistance Seniors' Care Assistance HealthCare Assist Your Wellness Partner CAREpath is the only Canadian Health Care navigation program of its kind offered in Canada. We have extensive experience in navigating Canadians through the health care system. A quick response helps with arthritis treatment, say experts. Credit: CentralITAlliance (istock)

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