Why including arthritis in benefits plans ‘makes a huge difference’

Arthritis is often perceived as a condition that only affects the elderly, but it’s far more prevalent and impactful than commonly realized, particularly within the workforce. With over 6 million Canadians suffering from arthritis, it is a leading cause of disability and impacts employees across all age groups. For employers, understanding and addressing arthritis in the workplace is crucial, not only to support affected employees but also to ensure productivity and retention.

Dr. Diane Lacaille, scientific director at Arthritis Research Canada and a professor in the division of rheumatology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), emphasizes the need for greater awareness and integration of arthritis care into employee benefits plans, as well as the importance of workplace accommodations. The organization has also launched a month-long campaign initiative offering webinars and newsletters to highlight the importance of arthritis care.

She explains that arthritis is typically used as an umbrella term for over 100 conditions that affect the joints, including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, both of which can lead to chronic pain, fatigue, and reduced mobility.

“Arthritis isn't just aches and pain," Lacaille asserts. "It affects every aspect of someone's life. If you wake up one morning and every joint in your body is sore and you have a hard time lifting your cup of coffee, you have a hard time brushing your teeth or if it takes you an inordinate amount of time in the morning to get ready to go to work because you're stiff and sore in the morning … It has a real impact. It affects peoples’ work.”

The impact of arthritis extends far beyond physical symptoms, profoundly affecting work, social relationships, mental health and quality of life as Lacaille points out that arthritis is a leading cause of work disability, significantly impacting productivity through both absenteeism and presenteeism.

One of the common misconceptions is that arthritis only affects older adults. On the contrary, arthritis frequently strikes during prime working years, between ages 30 and 50, often when employees are in full-fledged work life, Lacaille says.

“A large proportion of people with arthritis are under the age of 65. There's a lot of people in their 50s who have osteoarthritis, or even their 40s. If people have had a sports injury, 50 per cent of them will get osteoarthritis in that knee, for example, 10 years later. Even osteoarthritis, which is the one that's the most common in older people, is not just in older adults. It's a very important myth to break,” she says.

Arthritis is often overlooked in employee benefits plans, Lacaille says, despite its potential to severely impact an organization’s productivity and workforce longevity. Fortunately, advancements in treatment have made it possible for many individuals with arthritis to manage their condition and maintain productivity.

Lacaille puts treatment for arthritis under two buckets of medication: disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologics. Traditional DMARDs, which are the most common forms of medication, she explains, are medications that interfere with the autoimmune reaction that causes the inflammation. “They reduce pain, they reduce inflammation, and they prevent the damage to the joint. It sets the hallmark of those diseases when it goes untreated, but they do that by treating the underlying cause. Studies have shown that they impact the long-term effect. They improve ability to work, they reduce mortality and they reduce risk of systemic manifestations of inflammation, like heart attacks,” says Lacaille.

The other bucket is a biological agent. Biologic treatments, however, can cost thousands of dollars annually and “not everybody needs them,” notes Lacaille. “What matters is that you achieve remission. It doesn't matter how you achieve remission. Yes, you're more likely to achieve remission with a biologic but if you can achieve it with a less expensive drug, it's just as good.”

The benefits of arthritis treatment extend beyond just medication. That’s why Lacaille emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive benefits approach, including access to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, mental health support and ergonomic assessments.

Lacaille’s research shows that employees with access to ergonomic adjustments were 2 and a half times less likely to become work-disabled. Yet, many employees are unaware of the accommodations available to them, and less than 10 per cent ever receive an ergonomic assessment. Accordingly, employers can make a significant difference by fostering a culture of flexibility and accommodation.

"It's really that whole gamut of care of the whole person that is crucial in arthritis, because arthritis affects every aspect of a person's life,” Lacaille says. "The more flexible the work environment is, the easier it is for people to get job accommodations.”

Lacaille believes employers have a vested interest in ensuring their employees with arthritis receive the support they need. She asserts that by providing a robust benefits plan that covers the full spectrum of arthritis care, including physiotherapy, employers can help their employees manage their condition and remain productive.

"People will prioritize that in their job. They'll choose a job because of the benefits package, or they'll stay with a certain employer because of the benefits package. They’ll even turn down job offers that are a higher level of a job because they want to keep their benefits,” she says.

Ultimately, Lacaille emphasizes the benefits of treatment can give someone their life back. From an employer's perspective, if someone's arthritis is treated well, the employee in turn, “will do much better at work, because you take away what's limiting their ability to work. Yes, those drugs are very expensive, but they make a huge difference in a person's ability to do their job.”

Arthritis is often perceived as a condition that only affects the elderly, but it’s far more prevalent and impactful than commonly realized, particularly within the workforce. With over 6 million Canadians suffering from arthritis, it is a leading cause of disability and impacts employees across all age groups. For employers, understanding and addressing arthritis in the workplace is crucial, not only to support affected employees but also to ensure productivity and retention.

Dr. Diane Lacaille, scientific director at Arthritis Research Canada and a professor in the division of rheumatology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), emphasizes the need for greater awareness and integration of arthritis care into employee benefits plans, as well as the importance of workplace accommodations. The organization has also launched a month-long campaign initiative offering webinars and newsletters to highlight the importance of arthritis care.

She explains that arthritis is typically used as an umbrella term for over 100 conditions that affect the joints, including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, both of which can lead to chronic pain, fatigue, and reduced mobility.

“Arthritis isn't just aches and pain," Lacaille asserts. "It affects every aspect of someone's life.  If you wake up one morning and every joint in your body is sore and you have a hard time lifting your cup of coffee, you have a hard time brushing your teeth or if it takes you an inordinate amount of time in the morning to get ready to go to work because you're stiff and sore in the morning … It has a real impact. It affects peoples’ work.”

The impact of arthritis extends far beyond physical symptoms, profoundly affecting work, social relationships, mental health and quality of life as Lacaille points out that arthritis is a leading cause of work disability, significantly impacting productivity through both absenteeism and presenteeism.

One of the common misconceptions is that arthritis only affects older adults. On the contrary, arthritis frequently strikes during prime working years, between ages 30 and 50, often when employees are in full-fledged work life, Lacaille says.

“A large proportion of people with arthritis are under the age of 65. There's a lot of people in their 50s who have osteoarthritis, or even their 40s. If people have had a sports injury, 50 per cent of them will get osteoarthritis in that knee, for example, 10 years later. Even osteoarthritis, which is the one that's the most common in older people, is not just in older adults. It's a very important myth to break,” she says.

Arthritis is often overlooked in employee benefits plans, Lacaille says, despite its potential to severely impact an organization’s productivity and workforce longevity. Fortunately, advancements in treatment have made it possible for many individuals with arthritis to manage their condition and maintain productivity.

Lacaille puts treatment for arthritis under two buckets of medication: disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologics. Traditional DMARDs, which are the most common forms of medication, she explains, are medications that interfere with the autoimmune reaction that causes the inflammation. “They reduce pain, they reduce inflammation, and they prevent the damage to the joint. It sets the hallmark of those diseases when it goes untreated, but they do that by treating the underlying cause. Studies have shown that they impact the long-term effect. They improve ability to work, they reduce mortality and they reduce risk of systemic manifestations of inflammation, like heart attacks,” says Lacaille.

The other bucket is a biological agent. Biologic treatments, however, can cost thousands of dollars annually and “not everybody needs them,” notes Lacaille. “What matters is that you achieve remission. It doesn't matter how you achieve remission. Yes, you're more likely to achieve remission with a biologic but if you can achieve it with a less expensive drug, it's just as good.”

The benefits of arthritis treatment extend beyond just medication. That’s why Lacaille emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive benefits approach, including access to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, mental health support and ergonomic assessments.

Lacaille’s research shows that employees with access to ergonomic adjustments were 2 and a half times less likely to become work-disabled. Yet, many employees are unaware of the accommodations available to them, and less than 10 per cent ever receive an ergonomic assessment. Accordingly, employers can make a significant difference by fostering a culture of flexibility and accommodation.

"It's really that whole gamut of care of the whole person that is crucial in arthritis, because arthritis affects every aspect of a person's life,” Lacaille says. "The more flexible the work environment is, the easier it is for people to get job accommodations.”

Lacaille believes employers have a vested interest in ensuring their employees with arthritis receive the support they need. She asserts that by providing a robust benefits plan that covers the full spectrum of arthritis care, including physiotherapy, employers can help their employees manage their condition and remain productive.

"People will prioritize that in their job. They'll choose a job because of the benefits package, or they'll stay with a certain employer because of the benefits package. They’ll even turn down job offers that are a higher level of a job because they want to keep their benefits,” she says.

Ultimately, Lacaille emphasizes the benefits of treatment can give someone their life back. From an employer's perspective, if someone's arthritis is treated well, the employee in turn, “will do much better at work, because you take away what's limiting their ability to work. Yes, those drugs are very expensive, but they make a huge difference in a person's ability to do their job.”