Arthritis Takes Major Toll on Workplace - Medline Plus

Arthritis-related disability can have a major impact on a person's employment, forcing them to change work hours, the type and nature of their work, or even lose their job, a Canadian study reports.

The study tracked 490 people with osteoarthritis (OA) and inflammatory arthritis (IA) for more than four years. During that time, 63 percent of the participants remained employed, but work changes were common: 45 percent reduced their work hours due to arthritis; 52 percent switched their type of work; 18 percent weren't able to seek and accept promotions and job transfers; and 41 percent weren't able to take on additional responsibilities.

In addition, many of the participants used vacation time and missed work to deal with their arthritis....