RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND PRACTICAL MATTERS

There’s no getting around the fact that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can interfere with a person’s ability to work. Stiffness, pain, decreased mobility, and fatigue present problems for someone whose employment involves an eight-hour workday. We have already mentioned that people with RA often find it helpful to talk with their employers about arranging for increased flexibility in work hours and creating an arthritis-friendly workplace. These modifications can help a person with RA avoid having minor flare-ups interfere with work. Another possibility is a job-sharing program, in which two people each work halftime to fulfill the duties of one full-time job.

We stress the fact that persons with RA are differently abled and that with creative planning, flexibility, and understanding a person with RA often can continue in his or her job. This is what many people would prefer to do; but sometimes, despite a person’s best creative efforts, it is not possible to continue being employed as before. This is particularly true for people with a physically demanding job that requires repeated use of inflamed joints.

A person with RA who is having problems at work would be well advised to discuss the situation with his or her doctor and social service worker. If the best decision seems to be to make a change, the person might consider pursuing another form of employment, making arrangements with his or her employer to change jobs within the same company (or to change the description and duties of the present job), or applying for disability benefits. This decision, of course, is highly personal. The choice you make depends on your work experience, education, age, financial responsibilities, degree of arthritis involvement, and the advice of your health care team.

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RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND PRACTICAL MATTERS There’s no getting around the fact that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can interfere with a person’s ability to work. Stiffness, pain, decreased mobility, and fatigue present problems for someone whose employment involves an eight-hour workday. We have already mentioned that people with RA often find it helpful to talk with their employers about arranging for increased flexibility in work hours and creating an arthritis-friendly workplace. These modifications can help a person with RA avoid having minor flare-ups interfere with work. Another possibility is a job-sharing program, in which two people each work halftime to fulfill the duties of one full-time job.We stress the fact that persons with RA are differently abled and that with creative planning, flexibility, and understanding a person with RA often can continue in his or her job. This is what many people would prefer to do; but sometimes, despite a person’s best creative efforts, it is not possible to continue being employed as before. This is particularly true for people with a physically demanding job that requires repeated use of inflamed joints.A person with RA who is having problems at work would be well advised to discuss the situation with his or her doctor and social service worker. If the best decision seems to be to make a change, the person might consider pursuing another form of employment, making arrangements with his or her employer to change jobs within the same company (or to change the description and duties of the present job), or applying for disability benefits. This decision, of course, is highly personal. The choice you make depends on your work experience, education, age, financial responsibilities, degree of arthritis involvement, and the advice of your health care team.*116/209/5*

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