Productivity Hack Example Set your alarm earlier than usual I know my morning stiffness can last anywhere from 30 minutes on a good day to an hour and a half or more on a bad day. Inform your professors or your employer at your discretion While this may not be for everyone, I informed my professors and employers that something was going on medically with me.

I did not go into great detail about my condition and only gave pertinent information. My employers were not thrilled but they understood in the end. They worked with me to create a schedule that worked around when I was able to best accomplish work. To counteract potentially missing important information I asked someone in the same classes or were attending the same meetings to take notes for me.

It was important to explain the situation ahead of time rather than scramble to find someone after the fact. As a result, I never book anything that requires driving or extra attention the day following my scheduled injection.

I also know I am most productive from late-morning until just after dinnertime and will adjust my schedule accordingly. Prioritize I understand what I value: my personal well-being, physical fitness, work, close social relationships, casual social relationships, fun, relaxation, etc.

If I know I have a particularly busy week at work, I will scale back my commitments in other areas like casual social relationships in order to maintain my commitments to the things I value more e.

Get enough sleep I have learned that sometimes I need lots of sleep, and sometimes I need very little. I try to listen to my body and take the time I need to recharge. I also find that sometimes I need to sleep longer than my husband does and this used to make me feel lazy and guilty. I now embrace this difference between us and savour these extra hours of sleep that I need.

Some sitting, some standing, some running. Having a mixture of activities allows me to approach each task with a renewed energy. Physically intensive work, manual or semi-manual labour sectors, or jobs with heavy physical workload were associated with absenteeism, presenteeism, and premature work loss due to ill-health [ 24 , 30 , 31 , 40 ].

The risk of manual workers having disability retirement was strongly attributed to physical heavy workload [ 32 ].

This is supported by previous epidemiological evidence that increased risk of disability retirement, earlier retirement, and mortality among workers is associated with physically demanding work [ 51 , 52 ].

There may be other individual and lifestyle factors affecting premature work loss not reported in the studies in this review. For example, those in non-physically intensive occupations may find it easier to stay in work despite OA, while those in physically intensive roles may have limited work ability due to the nature of their work tasks and environment [ 31 ].

People with OA experiencing moderate-to-severe joint pain or high pain intensity have reduced work productivity and greater overall work impairment compared to those with no or mild pain or no OA [ 24 , 34 , 35 , 38 , 39 , 41 ].

Additionally, pain interference with normal work or housework was also associated with premature work loss [ 17 , 42 ]. Previous research has shown that greater initial pain intensity, pain for longer duration, multisite pain and initial functional limitations are predictors of poor functional outcomes in people with OA [ 3 ].

The findings in our review show that physical limitations and worse physical function scores were associated with presenteeism and expected workplace limitations. Physical limitation is a mediator in the association between pain intensity and onset of work productivity loss [ 35 ].

Those reporting more difficulty performing work-related tasks e. Improving physical function in patients with higher pain levels could improve work productivity outcomes [ 35 ]. Some evidence from two small cross-sectional studies and a large cohort study suggests that comorbidity burden was also associated with absenteeism, work impairment, and work transitions [ 33 , 36 , 43 ].

This supports previous research showing associations between musculoskeletal pain, depression, and high blood pressure with reduced worker productivity [ 54 , 55 , 56 ].

Additionally, patients experiencing higher pain intensity and currently using prescription medication have the highest comorbidity burden. Two studies reported that low co-worker support was associated with work transitions and premature work loss due to OA and knee problems [ 35 , 36 ].

Previous research identified a lack of perceived co-worker support being associated with greater job strain and work loss in people with arthritis [ 59 ]. The fear of being perceived as receiving special treatment was also an important barrier to requesting workplace accommodations or using available support measures, potentially leading to greater job strain and work loss [ 60 ].

Thus, it is important that employers and co-workers are aware of work difficulties experienced by people with long-term health conditions, to enable supportive workplaces meeting the requirements of disability equality legislation to help them stay in work.

Only three studies examined workplace accommodations in people with OA. However, people with arthritis who worked fewer hours reported greater job strain, possibly due to their arthritis limiting their ability to work longer hours or meeting their work demands [ 61 ].

Greater accommodation use was predicted by work activity limitations, physical work demands and health variability [ 25 ]. The most common accommodations were flexitime e. Previous research also reported that lack of workplace accommodations, such as flexible working hours and adapting the work environment, are associated with absenteeism and reduced work productivity [ 62 ].

Research about workplace accommodations for working people with OA is sparse and is needed to identify how these can help with job retention. There are limitations to this review.

Fourteen studies used the Kellgren-Lawrence classification of OA or secondary care health professionals to confirm the presence of OA in participants, but five studies only used self-reported physician diagnosis of OA, which may reduce reliability of the findings as not all such participants may have OA.

However, self-report is a commonly accepted method of defining OA in epidemiological surveys, as OA can be diagnosed clinically without investigation if a person is 45 years old or over, has activity-related joint pain, and either no or less than 30 min of morning joint-related stiffness [ 63 ].

A second limitation is that more than half of the included studies were cross-sectional, meaning the link between exposure and outcome cannot be established. More longitudinal studies are required to investigate the link between OA and work participation.

Most studies used self-reported data collection, which is prone to recall, attrition, and selection biases. Five studies from Scandinavia used data from national registries, with large cohort sizes, making their findings more generalisable to Scandinavia [ 14 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ].

All the included studies were from high income countries, which probably have better income support systems, paid sick leave policies and wellbeing policies compared to lower income countries, and these may influence reporting of absenteeism or premature work loss. Those studies measuring presenteeism used different outcome measures making it challenging to accurately compare productivity across studies.

Heavy physical workload, physically intensive work, moderate-to-severe joint pain, comorbidities, and low co-worker support are associated with poor work participation outcomes. Improving work ability in people with OA requires a multifactorial approach addressing physical, psychological, socio-environmental, and work-related factors to manage the condition, as well as managing associated co-morbidities.

These factors affect economic losses or gains in employees and employers, as most with OA could continue to work, despite persistent symptoms, given the right support [ 18 ].

In the UK, the Equality Act [ 64 ] requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate employees with long-term disabilities.

More studies are required to assess workplace accommodation needs and workplace adjustments made to understand what can be done to adjust work processes for employees living with OA. There was limited evidence in our review that age was associated with absenteeism.

Problems with more than one joint, job insecurity, prescription medication use, and greater depression symptom severity were associated with presenteeism, but this warrants further research due to limited evidence.

Additionally, using a standard work outcomes core set is needed to facilitate comparisons between work studies. More studies are also required to investigate and explore other personal and environmental factors related to work which were not reported in our review, in order to understand how these factors affect the decision about work participation in employees living with OA and to identify targets for future interventions.

This review demonstrated that, although limited evidence, there are moderate-to-good quality studies investigating the impact of OA on work participation, especially in terms of how biopsychosocial and work-related factors influence this.

It identified factors associated with work participation such as physically demanding jobs, experiencing moderate-to-severe joint pain, living with co-morbidities, and low co-worker support , which are worth exploring further to help develop personal and workplace strategies to support work participation in employed people with OA.

The data that support the findings of this review will be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Arden N, Nevitt MC. Osteoarthritis: epidemiology. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. Article PubMed Google Scholar. Swain S, Sarmanova A, Mallen C, Kuo CF, Coupland C, Doherty M, et al.

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Development of a work instability scale for rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care Res Hoboken. Bieleman HJ, Oosterveld FGJ, Oostveen JCM, Reneman MF, Groothoff JW. Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar. Hubertsson J, Petersson IF, Thorstensson CA, Englund M.

Risk of sick leave and disability pension in working-age women and men with knee osteoarthritis. Hunter DJ, Schofield D, Callander E. The individual and socioeconomic impact of osteoarthritis. Nat Rev Rheumatol. Palmer KT, Milne P, Poole J, Cooper C, Coggon D.

Employment characteristics and job loss in patients awaiting surgery on the hip or knee. Occup Environ Med. Wilkie R, Phillipson C, Hay E, Pransky G. Frequency and predictors of premature work loss in primary care consulters for osteoarthritis: prospective cohort study.

Rheumatology Oxford. Wilkie R, Pransky G. Improving work participation for adults with musculoskeletal conditions. Gignac MAM, Cao X, McAlpine J. Availability, need for, and use of work accommodations and benefits: are they related to employment outcomes in people with arthritis?

World Health Organization. Heerkens Y, Engels J, Kuiper C, Van der Gulden J, Oostendorp R. The use of the ICF to describe work related factors influencing the health of employees. Agaliotis M, Mackey MG, Jan S, Fransen M. Burden of reduced work productivity among people with chronic knee pain: a systematic review.

Gignac MAM, Cao X, Lacaille D, Anis AH, Badley EM. Arthritis-related work transitions: a prospective analysis of reported productivity losses, work changes, and leaving the labor force.

Agaliotis M, Fransen M, Bridgett L, Nairn L, Votrubec M, Jan S, et al. Risk factors associated with reduced work productivity among people with chronic knee pain.

Gignac MAM, Ibrahim S, Smith PM, Kristman V, Beaton DE, Mustard CA. The role of sex, gender, health factors, and job context in workplace accommodation use among men and women with arthritis.

Ann Work Expo Health. Moola S, Munn Z, Tufanaru C, Aromataris E, Sears K, Sfetc R, et al. Chapter 7: Systematic reviews of etiology and risk. In: JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. global [Accessed: 13 May ]. Hoorntje A, Kuijer PPFM, van Ginneken BT, Koenraadt KLM, van Geenen RCI, Kerkhoffs GMMJ, et al.

Predictors of return to work after high tibial ssteotomy: the importance of being a breadwinner. Orthop J Sports Med. Jorn LP, Johnsson R, Toksvig-larsen S. Patient satisfaction, function and return to work after knee arthroplasty.

Acta Orthop Scand. Wolf JM, Atroshi I, Zhou C, Karlsson J, Englund M. Sick leave after surgery for thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis: a population-based study. J Hand Surg Am. Hubertsson J, Turkiewicz A, Petersson IF, Englund M.

Understanding occupation, sick leave, and disability pension due to knee and hip osteoarthritis from a sex perspective. Kontio T, Viikari-Juntura E, Solovieva S. To what extent do education and physical work load factors explain occupational differences in disability retirement due to knee OA?

A nationwide register-based study in Finland. Effect of Osteoarthritis on Work Participation and Loss of Working Life-years. Summanen M, Ukkola-Vuoti L, Kurki S, Tuominen S, Madanat R. The burden of hip and knee osteoarthritis in Finnish occupational healthcare. BMC Musculoskelet Disord.

Wilkie R, Phillipson C, Hay EM, Pransky G. Anticipated significant work limitation in primary care consulters with osteoarthritis: a prospective cohort study.

Wilkie R, Hay EM, Croft P, Pransky G. Exploring how pain leads to productivity loss in primary care consulters for osteoarthritis: a prospective cohort study.

PLoS ONE. Agaliotis M, Mackey MG, Heard R, Jan S, Fransen M. Personal and workplace environmental factors associated with reduced worker productivity among older workers with chronic knee pain: a cross-sectional survey.

J Occup Environ Med. Conaghan PG, Doane MJ, Jaffe DH, Dragon E, Abraham L, Viktrup L, et al. Are pain severity and current pharmacotherapies associated with quality of life, work productivity, and healthcare utilisation for people with osteoarthritis in five large European countries?

Clin Exp Rheumatol. Dibonaventura Md, Gupta S, McDonald M, Sadosky A. Evaluating the health and economic impact of osteoarthritis pain in the workforce: results from the National Health and Wellness Survey.

Dibonaventura MD, Gupta S, McDonald M, Sadosky A, Pettitt D, Silverman S. Impact of self-rated osteoarthritis severity in an employed population: cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Health and Wellness Survey.

Health Qual Life Outcomes. Hermans J, Koopmanschap MA, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA, van Linge JH, Verhaar JAN, Reijman M, et al. Productivity costs and medical costs among working patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Jackson J, Iyer R, Mellor J, Wei W. Adv Ther. Laires PA, Canhao H, Rodrigues AM, Eusebio M, Gouveia M, Branco JC. The impact of osteoarthritis on early exit from work: results from a population-based study. Your health care provider will be able to discuss and recommend personalized treatments that may differ from the information provided in this issue.

If you have questions about the topics in this issue, please email them to feedback jointhealth. org Medication for OA Before starting on a medication therapy, it is important to have a throughout conversation with your health care provider about possible side effects and complications with your current medications.

In mild to moderate cases of osteoarthritis, joint pain may be sufficiently treated with an over-the-counter pain reliever, like acetaminophen Tylenol®. Acetaminophen can be effective in reducing pain but is not an anti-inflammatory medication and cannot stop joint damage.

If a pain reliever like acetaminophen is not enough, doctors may prescribe a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug NSAID. Examples of NSAIDs available without a prescription include ibuprofen Motrin® or Advil® and acetylsalicylic acid Aspirin®.

More powerful NSAIDs require a prescription. These include naproxen Naprosyn®. These are potent medications which may reduce joint inflammation and pain, but do not work to reduce joint damage.

In rare cases, NSAIDs have been linked to cause serious cardiovascular, kidney or gastro-intestinal side effects, like stomach ulcers.

Sometimes, an injection of corticosteroid sometimes called 'cortisone' into the affected joint may help to reduce the inflammation of advanced osteoarthritis in the hip and knee. Cortisone injections can help in situations where mobility is impacted or pain is severe.

What is a joint replacement? The most common type of joint surgery for osteoarthritis is joint replacement; knees and hips are the most common joints to be treated.

If first-line treatment options like education, physical activity and weight management as well as medication are not enough to manage your osteoarthritis pain and problems with day-to-day function, your doctor may refer you to a surgeon to see if surgery is the right option for you.

In total, 55, knee replacements were performed in Canada between and A combination of factors play a role in the development of osteoarthritis, such as: Receiving proper care and rehabilitation after a joint injury Maintaining a healthy body weight to body mass index Consulting a health care professional to determine if medication or surgical treatments may be required ACE recommends you speak to your health care provider about what is best for you.

Epidemiology of osteoarthritis. pdf 6 Lin et al. Unmet Needs of Aboriginal Australians With Musculoskeletal Pain: A Mixed-Method Systematic Review. Imbalance of prevalence and specialty care for osteoarthritis for first nations people in Alberta, Canada.

Gastrointestinal ulcers, role of aspirin, and clinical outcomes: pathobiology, diagnosis, and treatment. Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare , 7, — S 10 Zeng et al. Intra-articular corticosteroids and the risk of knee osteoarthritis progression: results from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

September Arthritis Consumer Experts © ACE Planning and Consulting Inc. OA is inevitable Young people get OA too I must be in a lot of pain before getting help Weight bearing activities help my knee OA It is harder to lose weight than prevent weight gain.

Fiction Fact Fiction Fact Fact. Arthritis Research Canada. Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute: News Release. Exercise is Medicine website: Exercising with Osteoarthritis.

Lin et al. Barnabe et al. Cryer, B.

Learn more about JHSCs and remote work. JHSCs help raise awareness of health and safety issues, recognize and identify workplace risks, and develop recommendations for the employer to address these risks.

To be effective, JHSC needs to collaborate with employers, supervisors, and employees on health and safety concerns and policies.

To measure how effective your JHSC is, we suggest completing the JHSC Effectiveness Self-Assessment. We recommend all members of your JHSC work together to complete the self-assessment. After you complete the JHSC Effectiveness Self-Assessment to identify areas your JHSC can improve upon, you can create a plan to address these different areas.

Use the JHSC Effectiveness Action Plan to outline the actions your JHSC will take to improve and who will be responsible for carrying them out. Here are some tips and best practices to help you improve on some of the key responsibilities of your JHSC:.

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Please note that What Works Wellbeing will close operations on 30 April Read more. About wellbeing What is wellbeing? What affects wellbeing? How to measure wellbeing? How to improve wellbeing? Blog Projects Resources Practice examples About us Contact us Privacy policy.

You may also wish to Read the blog article on this document. February Adopting joint productive and healthy workplace practices: What impacts success? Downloads Infographic. What does success look like in an organisation? Quality jobs Good management Supportive social relationships Health and wellbeing promotion High productivity Many initiatives can improve working conditions.

Balancing consistency and flexibility in a dynamic way Consistency Formally adopt the programme through rules and procedures. These set out the parameters of what wellbeing is, and how to achieve it. You can request job accommodations to adapt your work to your arthritis.

People who seek accommodation are often better able to do their work and take fewer days off work. Early diagnosis and use of disease-modifying drugs DMARDs for the treatment of people with inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis have provided monumental improvements in the quality of life for many people, enabling many to maintain full, active lives and stay employed.

We challenge you to take or send your friends and family members to a Shoppers Drug Mart to use the Shoppers Drug Mart Arthritis Screening tool or visit their website. Early diagnosis and treatment of arthritis can lead to better outcomes, reduced disability and even remission of the disease.

Time to get going on that spring screening! With early diagnosis and treatment and a supportive employer, people with arthritis can have full, active, purpose-filled lives. Make your work work…. Sign up and receive news and updates on arthritis research aimed at arthritis prevention, early diagnosis, new and better treatment, and improved quality of life.

We express our gratitude to the keepers of the land. The Arthritis Newsletter Spring Tips for Staying at Work and Maintaining Your Work Productivity By Alison Hoens, Wendy Lum, Joyce Ma, Pam Montie, Karen Tsui All of us want to feel productive and valued in what we contribute to this world.

Bring the weight as close to your body as possible before lifting Keep your back in a neutral spine position, keeping your stomach in tight to support your back Lift with your legs and buttocks and never lift while your back is in a rounded position, or twist while carrying a heavy weight Mini Vacations If possible, consider using some of your vacation hours so that you can take a half or a full day off work intermittently Communications with Your Employer and Health Care Team There are both provincial and federal laws in Canada that require employers to accommodate people with disabilities.

The initiative aims to bring together a wide range of researchers and stakeholders across sectors. CIHR, SSHRC and their partners will work to create conditions for healthy and productive work that take into consideration unique needs of men and women. The focus will be on developing and improving accommodations, tools, and policies for all workers, including older workers; those with caregiving responsibilities outside paid work; people with disabilities, illness and injury; and people with mental health challenges.

Footnote 1. More than 1 in 6 workers are 55 or over. Footnote 2. In this issue And the winners are Large Workplace Award Medium Workplace Award Small Workplace Award The award selection process Message for Employees Making it Work - ARC study is looking for participants Listening to you Feedback Update your email or postal address Arthritis Consumer Experts ACE Who we are Guiding principles Disclosures Disclaimer.

Making it Work: ARC study is looking for participants Dr. This project addresses the challenges of staying at work by offering information and techniques for managing arthritis while at work. Currently, this online program is being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial to test its effectiveness at helping people stay employed.

Results are due sometime in or at the earliest with availability of the program to the general public at some point after that.

If the results confirm the effectiveness of the program, the program will go a long way in helping people with arthritis remain employed, productive and motivated to continue working.